,RACTICAL 
WINTERS 


PRACTICAL 
POINTERS 

FOR 

SHORTHAND 
STUDENTS 


BY 

FRANK  RUTHERFORD 


47107 


CHICAGO 

GREGG  PUBLISHING  COMPANY 
1904 


Copyright,   1 904 

BY 

JOHN  R.   GREGG 


The  Publishers'  Foreword 


We  hope  and  believe  that  this  book  will  prove  of 
value  to  every  ambitious  student  into  whose  hands  it  may 
come.  It  would  be  difficult  to  find  anyone  better  quali- 
fied than  the  author  to  write  a  book  of  this  kind.  Mr. 
Rutherford  can  speak  of  almost  every  phase  of  shorthand 
and  typewriting  work  from  actual  experience,  for  he  has 
been  a  stenographer,  a  private  secretary,  a  reporter,  a 
teacher  of  shorthand,  and  an  exponent  of  modern  methods 
of  typewriting.  This  broad,  comprehensive  experience 
has  enabled  him  to  write  a  book  full  of  practical,  up-to- 
date  suggestions. 

In  speaking  of  Mr.  Rutherford  as  a  teacher,  the 
TYPEWRITER  AND  PHONOGRAPHIC  WORLD  said:  "He  is 
one  of  the  very  few  teachers  whom  we  know  that  every 
pupil  he  ever  had  recommends  unqualifiedly  and  always 
mentions  in  terms  of  unstinted  praise.  He  is  a  careful 
and  painstaking  teacher  and  conscientious,  tireless  worker. ' ' 

This  book  was  written  by  Mr.  Rutherford  in  his 
leisure  moments,  as  opportunity  offered,  and  the  copy 
sent  to  us  from  time  to  time.  We  desire  to  express  our 
indebtedness  to  Miss  Alice  G.  Rosenfels  and  Mr.  Rupert 
P.  SoRelle  for  their  valued  assistance  in  arranging  and 
editing  the  manuscript. 

THE  GREGG  PUBLISHING  COMPANY. 
Chicago,  February,  1904. 


GREGG  SHORTHAND  PUBLICATIONS 


GREGG  SHORTHAND  MANUAL.  New  and  revised 

edition.  Bound  in  cloth,  gold  lettering $i . 50 

PROGRESSIVE  EXERCISES  IN  GREGG  SHORT- 
HAND. These  exercises  are  intended  to  test  the  student's 
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ing and  writing  ability 50 

READING  AND  WRITING  EXERCISES  IN  GREGG 
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GREGG  SHORTHAND  PHRASE  BOOK.  Contains 
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GREGG  SHORTHAND  DICTIONARY.  Contains  the 
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LESSONS  IN  SHORTHAND  PENMANSHIP.  By 

John  R.  Gregg 15 

FACTORS  OF  SUCCESS.  Compiled  by  H.  T.  Whit- 
ford  and  written  in  Gregg  Shorthand;  a  very  interesting  and 
instructive  reading  book 25 

PUNCTUATION  SIMPLIFIED.  By  J.  Clifford  Kennedy, 
pres't  (1901)  National  Shorthand  Teachers'  Association;  vice- 
pres't  (1902)  National  Commercial  Teachers'  Federation.  .  .25 

RATIONAL  TYPEWRITING.  By  Ida  McLenan  Cutler 
and  Rupert  P.  SoRelle.  A  complete  text-book  for  class  or 
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ENGLISH:  PROGRESSIVE  STUDIES.  By  Francis 
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of  English .75 

WORDS:  THEIR  SPELLING,  PRONUNCIATION, 
DEFINITION  AND  APPLICATION.  128  pages; 
flexible  cover.  . .15 

THE  GREGG  WRITER.  A  monthly  magazine,  con- 
taining exercises  on  the  lessons;  with  numerous  helpful  sug- 
gestions for  the  students,  advanced  writing  exercises,  facsimile 
reporting  notes,  etc.  Single  copy,  10  cents;  subscription 
per  year 50 


CONTENTS 

PART  I:     THE  STUDY  OF  SHORTHAND.  PAGI 

Can  I  Learn  Shorthand  ?......! 

Which  System  of  Shorthand  ?.....! 

Advantages  of  Shorthand  to  a  Young  Man        ...          3 
Advantages  of  Shorthand  to  a  Young  Woman  .          .          4 

"  The  Greatest  Heights  Not  Reached  by  Easy  Flight  "          .  5 

Is  there  an  Over-Supply  of  Stenographers  ?         .          .          .          7 
How  to  Learn  Shorthand  and  Typewriting        .    '  .          8 

The  Advantage  of  Having  an  Instructor  ...          9 

Don't  Get  Fits  of  the  Blues  .....        10 

Make  Haste  Slowly  .          .          .          .          .          .11 

Notebook  and  Paper  .  .          .          .          .12 

The  Correct  Position  in  Writing   .          .          .          .  1 3 

Pen  or  Pencil  ?          .  .  .  .  .  .  .14 

Size  of  Notes  .          .          .          .  •  .          .  1 5 

Punctuality  and  Regularity  in  Attendance          .  .          .16 

Have  Confidence  in  Your  System  .          .  .  .17 

Transcribe  Your  Notes        .          .          .          .          .  1 8 

Importance  of  Reading  Shorthand  20 

Master  Each  Lesson  .          .          .  .  .  21 

Don't  Sacrifice  Legibility  for  Speed  .  .          .  .21 

Have  Faith  in  Your  Teacher        .  .          .          .  .23 

Practice!    Practice!   Practice!      .  .          .          .          .25 

A  Few  Don'ts  :      Don't  erase  ;  don't  wet  the  end  of  your 
pencil;  don't  talk  during  study  hours  ;  don't  assume  that 
you  know   more   about  shorthand  than   your  instructor  ; 
don't  flourish  your  pen  or  pencil  in  the  air;  don't  fail   to 
subscribe  for  the  magazine  of  your  system       ...        26 
How  to  Write  the  New  Words    .....        28 

How  to  Write  the  Long  Words    .  .  ...  -3° 

Word  Signs  and  Contractions         .  .  .  .  3 1 

Brief  Outlines  Often  Deceptive      .  .  .          .  .32 

Invariability  of  Outline         .          .  .  .  .33 

Carrying  Words  and  Sentences  in  the  Mind       ...        34 
Perseverance  Conquers  All  .  .  .  .  -35 

Enlarge  Your  Vocabulary  by  Reading      ....        36 

Independent  Reading  .  .  .  .  .  -37 

Cleanliness       .  .  .          .  .          .          .  38 

Phrasing          .'......        39 


CONTENTS— CONTINUED. 
PART  II :     POINTERS  ABOUT  TYPEWRITING. 

The  Machine  .......       41 

The  Machine  and  the  Operator     .....        42 

Typewriting     ........        41 

Single,  Double  Case  and  Double  Shift  Machines          .          .        44 
Memorize  the  Keyboard      ......        45 

The  Touch  or  All-Finger  Method  of  Typewriting       .  .        46 

Touch  Typewriting  Requires  Earnest  Study       ...        47 
Blank  Keys     .*.......        49 

Cultivate  a  Light,  Uniform  Touch          ....        49 

Accuracy  Before  Speed         .          .  .          .          .          -5° 

Useless  Delays :     Lifting  the  Carriage  and  Erasures     .  .        51 

Transcribing  the  Notes       .  .          .  .          .          -5* 

Cleaning  the  Typewriter     .  .          .          .          .          .53 

Spelling 54 

Punctuation     .          .          .  •  .          .          .          -57 

Neatness  in  Typewriting     .          .  .          .          .          .58 

Copyholders     .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .61 

The  Tabulator 61 

Book  Typewriting     .          .          .          .          .          .          .63 

The  Card  System 64 

The  Annular  Scale  and  Its  Uses  ....        66 

Wide  Carriage  Typewriters  .....        66 

Manifolding     .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .68 

The  Mimeograph      .          .          .          .          .          .          .69 

The  Hektograph       .......        70 

Copying  Typewritten  Letters          .  .  .  .  .71 

Addressing       .  .  .  .  .  .  .  -7* 

General  Advice  to  the  Student      .          .          .          .          -73 

PART  III :     THE  STENOGRAPHER  IN  THE  OFFICE. 

Breaking  the  Ice        .......        76 

Applying  for  a  Position        .  .  .  .  .  .78 

"  Fuss  and  Feathers"          .  .  .  .  .  .81 

Technical  Words  and  How  to  Deal  with  Them          .          .        82 
Don't  Waste  the  Office  Stationery  ....        85 

Reading  Back  Your  Notes  .  .          .          .          .86 

A  Few  Don'ts  in  Business :  Don't  look  at  the  clock ; 
don't  be  gruff  or  rude  ;  don't  neglect  your  machine  ;  don't 
write  with  a  blunt  pencil ;  don't  neglect  your  shorthand  ; 
don't  be  late  .......  87 


CONTENTS— CONTINUED. 
PART  III— Continued. 

How  to  Write  Names  and  Addresses       ....        89 

Getting  a  Position      .          .          .          .          .          .  .90 

A   Few   Pointers  for  the  Office  Stenographer  :     Margins  in 

notebook.      Take   an  interest  in  your  employer's  affairs. 

Index  and  date  your  notebooks  .          .          .  .  -93 

The  Phonograph  in  Business          .....        94 

The  Law  Stenographer        ......        95 

The  Life  Insurance  Stenographer  .....        98 

The  Railroad  and  Steamship  Stenographer         ...        98 
Manuscript  Copying  ......        99 

The  Public  Stenographer     .          .  .          .          .          .100 

Technical  Reporting  .          .          .          .          .  101 

Phrase  Writing  for  the  Office  Stenographer       .          .          .104 
Grit  and  Determination        .          .          .          .          .          .107 

PART  IV  :     POINTERS  ABOUT  REPORTING. 

How  to  Become  a  Shorthand  Reporter    .  .  .  .108 

Some  Pointers  for  the  Embryo  Reporter  :  Master  your  sys- 
tem.    Read  your  own  notes.     Word  building.     Small, 
neat  notes    .          .          .          .          .  .  .  .no 

Contingencies  in  Reporting             .          .  .  .  .113 

Getting  up  Speed       .          .          .          .  .  .  1 1 3 

Practice  and  Dictation  Matter        .          .  .  .  .116 

The  Law  Office  as  a  Training  School      .  .  .  1 1 7 

Reporting  Sermons    .          .          .          .  .  .  .120 

Reporting  Lectures    .          .           .          .  .  .  .122 

Reporting  Stockholders'  or  Directors'  Meetings  .  .      123 

Political  Reporting    .          .          .          .  .  .  .124 

Newspaper  Reporting           .          .          .  .  .  .125 

Reporting  Deliberative  Bodies        '.          .  .  .  .126 

The  Phonograph  for  the  Reporter          .  .  .  .128 

Court  Reporting       .          .          .          .  .  .  .128 

How  Long  ?   .          .          .          .          .  .  .  .119 


PART   I. 

The   Study   of    Shorthand 


CAN  I  LEARN  SHORTHAND? 

Do  you  think  I  am  too  old  to  learn  it?  Am  I 
too  young  to  master  it?  These  questions  are  fre- 
quently asked  by  prospective  shorthand  students. 
The  question  of  age  has  nothing  to  do  with  it.  It 
is  a  matter  of  application  and  determination,  of 
which  the  oldest  and  youngest  students  are  capable. 
Anyone  with  an  average  brain  can  learn  the  princi- 
ples of  shorthand  and  typewriting,  but  it  requires 
earnest  study  and  practice  to  make  a  success  of  it, 
and  the  student  who  puts  forth  his  best  effort,  and 
works  intelligently,  will  master  it  and  ultimately  be 
successful. 

WHICH  SYSTEM  OF  SHORTHAND? 

The  author's  opinion  in  regard  to  shorthand  sys- 
tems is  well  known.  For  twenty  years  he  wrote  and 
taught  the  Pitman  system,  and  afterwards  adopted 
Gregg  Shorthand — reluctantly  at  first,  but  with  in- 
creasing enthusiasm  as  he  gained  a  deeper  knowl- 


2  RUTHERFORD  S     PRACTICAL     POINTERS. 

edge  of  its  remarkable  merits  and  resources.  The 
lapse  of  time  has  in  no'  wise  diminished  his  faith  in 
the  system  or  in  its  future.  As  the  first  teacher  of 
Gregg  Shorthand  in  America,  it  has  been  a  source 
of  pride  and  satisfaction  to  him  to  watch  its  won- 
derful strides  in  popular  favor,  until  today  it  is  un- 
questionably more  widely  taught  in  'this  country 
than  any  other  system.  Its  success,  and  the  results 
accomplished  by  it,  have  vindicated  the  claims  we 
made  on  its  behalf  when  it  was  struggling  for  a 
footing,  and  this  has  naturally  been  a  great  grati- 
fication to  us. 

Its  ease  of  acquirement,  its  common-sense  basic 
principles,  its  rapidity,  and  its  great  legibility,  are 
all  factors  which  should  not,  and  must  not  be  over- 
looked. It  is  based  on  longhand  principles,  having 
the  uniform  slope  and  freedom  of  movement  to 
which  the  hand  is  accustomed.  But  one  position — 
on  the  line — is  used  and  the  characters  are  all  light. 
It  offers  no  difficulties  that  cannot  be  easily  sur- 
mounted by  the  student  of  ordinary  ability,  and  it 
has  been  proved  by  the  test  of  years  to  be  equal  to 
all  emergencies.  It  answers  every  requirement  of  a 
shorthand  system  without  one-tenth  of  the  difficulty 
which  the  older  methods  offer.  Gregg  Shorthand  is 
modern  and  up-to-date. 

Oftentimes  students  are  discouraged  because 
someone  who  writes  a  different  system  tells  them 
that  they  have  made  a  mistake.  Now,  it  must  be 


RUTHERFORD'S   PRACTICAL   POINTERS.  3 

clear  to  anyone  of  ordinary  intelligence  that  the 
opinions  of  those  who  know  but  one  system  are 
absolutely  worthless  regarding  the  merits  of  other 
systems  of  which  they  know  nothing.  Upon  inves- 
tigation, it  will  be  found  that  practical  writers, 
reporters  and  teachers  of  all  other  systems  have 
changed  to  the  Gregg,  and  it  is  the  only  system  of 
which  this  can  be  said.  On  the  other  hand,  we  have 
never  known,  in  all  our  experience,  any  practical 
writer  of  the  Gregg  to  change  to  another  system. 
This,  in  itself,  should  be  conclusive  evidence  that 
Gregg  Shorthand  possesses  an  inherent  strength 
that  makes  it  superior  to  all  others. 

ADVANTAGES  OF  SHORTHAND  TO  A  YOUNQ  MAN. 

In  these  days  of  keen  commercial  competition 
when  men  are  struggling  for  supremacy,  a  young 
man  starting  out  in  life  is  very  prone  to  ask:  "What 
will  I  get  out  of  shorthand?"  Shorthand  as  an  edu- 
cational factor  cannot  be  overestimated.  It  stimu- 
lates thought,  creates  mental  alertness,  and  the  re- 
quirements for  facility  of  execution  give  a  training 
almost  unattainable  in  any  other  way.  To  catch  the 
fleeting  word,  to  record  its  shorthand  symbol,  and, 
then,  with  almost  equal  rapidity,  to  print  its  alpha- 
betic equivalent  on  the  typewriter,  call  for  mental 
activity  and  harmony  of  thought  and  action  required 
by  hardly  any  other  study. 

The  study  of  shorthand  will  increase  the  student's 


4  RUTHERFORD  S     PRACTICAL     POINTERS. 

knowledge  of  the  English  language,  it  will  enlarge 
his  vocabulary,  and  altogether  give  him  a  better 
education  than  he  could  obtain  in  the  same  length 
of  time  through  almost  any  other  channel.  Short- 
hand brings  the  young  man  in  close  contact  with  the 
principal  of  the  business  in  which  he  is  engaged.  It 
gives  him  the  close,  personal  acquaintance  in  this 
way  that  no  other  employment  enjoys.  Thus,  if  a 
young  man  possesses  ability,  such  a  position  proves 
a  stepping  stone  to  better  things. 

Further,  it  will  bring  the  beginner  in  business 
more  money,  and,  in  many  cases,  shorter  business 
hours  than  any  other  clerical  position. 

"Once  a  bookkeeper — always  a  bookkeeper"  is  an 
old  saying,  but  a  wide  future  stretches  out  before 
the  young  man  stenographer,  limited  only  by  his 
own  ability  and  ambition.  The  shorthand  writer  is 
a  specialist,  and  as  such  deserves  and  obtains  the  re- 
ward which  should  be  his. 

ADVANTAGES  OF  SHORTHAND  TO  A  YOUNG  WOMAN. 

"What  shall  we  do  with  our  girls?"  is  a  question 
that  has  appealed  to,  and  will  face  in  the  future, 
many  an  anxious  parent.  Shorthand  and  typewritr 
ing  offer  a  comparatively  easy  way  of  answering  this 
question.  Thousands  of  young  women  are  today 
earning,  not  only  a  living,  comfortable  for  them- 
selves, but  at  the  same  time  laying  the  foundation 
for  future  competence  by  the  means  of  shorthand. 


RUTHERFORD  S     PRACTICAL     POINTERS.  5 

Women  stenographers,  it  may  safely  be  said,  are 
writing  two-thirds  of  the  correspondence  of  the 
United  States,  and  from  all  reports  the  number  of 
women  stenographers  is  increasing  rapidly  in  Euro- 
pean cities.  Every  year  adds  to  the  huge  army. 
Shorthand  and  typewriting  do  for  the  young  woman 
all  they  do  for  the  young  man,  and  more — they 
make  her  independent.  In  thousands  of  offices  the 
woman  stenographer  is  counted  as  absolutely  indis- 
pensable. Her  ready  brain  easily  assimilates  short- 
hand and  her  nimble  ringers  fly  over  the  keys  of  the 
typewriter  with  unrivaled  rapidity.  Her  presence 
has  raised  the  tone  of  many  an  office  and  her  salary 
has  often  proved  for  the  family  at  home  "real  help 
in  time  of  trouble."  The  woman  stenographer  has 
come  to  stay. 

You  can  be  one  of  the  number  if  you  will  have 
patience  and  perseverance  to  study,  but  be  not  con- 
tent to  be  a  stenographer  of  mediocre  ability;  be 
above  the  average  if  you  want  your  ability  to  be 
recognized  and  rewarded. 

THE  GREATEST  HEIGHTS  NOT  REACHED  BY 
EASY  FLIGHT. 

During  the  initiatory  period  of  shorthand,  the  aver- 
age student  is  very  apt  to  take  an  exaggerated  view 
of  what  his  future  position  should  be.  He  pictures 
himself,  after  a  few  months  of  study,  taking  down 
with  facility  the  lecture  of  the  professor,  the 


6  RUTHERFORD'S   PRACTICAL   POINTERS. 

speeches  of  the  senator  or  political  aspirant,  or  the 
Sunday  sermons  of  the  minister.  Let  him  at  once 
disabuse  his  mind  of  these  illusions.  This  phase  of 
shorthand  existence  is  reached  only  after  years  of 
patient  study  and  hard  work.  Be  ambitious,  if  you 
will,  but  remember  that  you  have  limitations.  No 
matter  how  high  your  aims  are,  there  are  always 
greater  heights  Lo  attain;  but  they  cannot  be 
attained  if  the  slow  steps  of  progress  that  lead  to 
them  are  scorned.  The  reporter's  chair  is  well  to 
bear  in  mind  as  a  goal  to  work  for,  but  it  is  not 
reached  by  the  mere  study  of  shorthand.  There  are 
hundreds  of  good  stenographers  to  one  shorthand 
reporter.  The  two  branches — of  court  reporting 
and  commercial  stenography — although  allied,  are 
far  apart.  The  shorthand  reporter  has  been  with  us 
for  years;  the  office  stenographer  is  a  creation  of 
recent  times.  There  are  many  phases  of  office  and 
commercial  life  which  call  for  great  speed  in  short- 
hand, and  these,  in  turn,  lead  to  boundless  opportu- 
nities for  advancement.  Qualify  yourself  first  for 
office  duties;  be  a  good  amanuensis  by  learning  to 
write  shorthand  well  and  read  it  with  facility.  Learn 
to  operate  a  typewriter  accurately  and  rapidly. 
When  you  have  attained  this  height,  continue  to 
study  and  practice  shorthand  until  you  are  master 
of  it  in  every  detail;  improve  your  general  education 
by  wide  and  intelligent  reading,  and  in  due  course 
you  may  be  qualified  to  become  a  court  reporter. 


RUTHERFORD'S   PRACTICAL   POINTERS.  7 

IS  THERE  AN  OVER-SUPPLY  OF  STENOGRAPHERS? 

Stenographers  are  of  every  grade.  It  is  an  un- 
fortunate fact  that  many  of  them  possess  only  a  lim- 
ited knowledge  of  shorthand  and  typewriting,  and 
an  indifferent  command  of  English,  and  in  many 
cases  show  a  lamentable  ignorance  of  even  the  sim- 
plest details.  The  student  should  be  taught  that  a 
knowledge  of  shorthand  and  typewriting  is  not  the 
only  essential.  There  are  more  stenographers  em- 
ployed today  than  ever  before  in  the  history  of  the 
world.  Possibly,  too,  there  are  more  out  of  employ- 
ment than  ever  before.  The  reason  is  plain.  The 
business  man  of  today  wants  a  stenographer  who  is 
familiar  with  business  forms  in  general,  and  who  will 
acquaint  himself  thoroughly  with  the  technicalities 
of  the  business  in  which  he  is  engaged — one  who 
can  conduct  his  employer's  correspondence  intelli- 
gently. He  wants  a  stenographer  who  is  ambitious 
and  who  will  make  his  employer's  interests  his  own. 

To  succeed  as  a  stenographer  you  must  be  thor- 
ough in  your  study  and  in  your  work.  You  must 
write  shorthand  swiftly,  and  transcribe  it  on  the 
typewriter  with  speed  and  accuracy.  For  those  who 
can  do  this  there  are  always  positions  to  be  had. 
But  for  the  ill-prepared,  immature  stenographer, 
who  cannot  take  dictation  and  cannot  transcribe  his 
notes,  there  is  no  room  and  never-will  be.  Through 
lack  of  ability  and  energy,  such  stenographers  fail  to 
hold  a  position  for  more  than  a  few  days.  There 


8  RUTHERFORD'S   PRACTICAL   POINTERS. 

never  has  been  such  a  demand  for  good,  all-round 
stenographers  as  there  is  today.  The  standard  is 
high  and  it  requires  work  to  reach  it. 

HOW  TO  LEARN  SHORTHAND  AND  TYPEWRITING. 

The  most  satisfactory,  economical,  and  quickest 
way  to  learn  shorthand  and  typewriting  is  to  attend 
some  well-equipped  commercial  school,  or  to  employ 
the  services  of  a  competent  teacher.  By  the  first 
plan,  the  best  teaching,  combined  with  the  benefits 
of  the  experience  of  years  of  instruction,  is  secured 
at  a  moderate  cost.  The  majority  of  business 
schools  are  equipped  with  typewriting  machines  of 
standard  make,  and  the  prospective  student  should 
ascertain  before  entering  a  school  its  facilities  for 
giving  good  typewriting  instruction.  While  it  is 
advisable  for  the  student  to  train  himself  to  become 
expert  as  possible  on  one  make  of  machine,  he 
should  also  have  a  working  knowledge  of  others. 
Further,  each  business  school  has  many  opportuni- 
ties of  placing  its  qualified  students  in  remunerative 
positions.  So  in  every  way  it  is  preferable  for  the 
embryo  stenographer  to  have  the  benefit  of  the 
thorough  training  a  business  school  affords. 

Another  way  is  to  take  lessons  from  a  reputable 
teacher  or  correspondence  school.  Learning  short- 
hand by  correspondence  is  necessarily  a  slow  process, 
and  it  is  not  so  thorough  nor  so  rapid  as  personal 
instruction.  'By  this  plan.it  is  necessary  for  the  stu- 


RUTHERFORD  S     PRACTICAL     POINTERS.  9 

dent  to  purchase  or  rent  a  typewriter  upon  which  to 
transcribe  his  shorthand  notes  at  home.  He  must 
also  have  someone  dictate  to  him  in  order  that  he 
may  attain  speed  in  shorthand.  If  possible,  after 
receiving  mail  instruction,  the  student  should  have 
the  benefit  of  some  personal  instruction  to  finish 
and  thoroughly  equip  him  for  his  career. 

The  third  plan  is  the  cheapest.  It  is  to  purchase 
a  shorthand  text-book,  rent  or  buy  a  typewriter,  and 
study  at  home,  without  the  aid  of  a  teacher.  Many 
have  done  this  and  succeeded,  but  it  is  uphill,  dis- 
couraging work,  and  is  only  to  be  commended  for 
its  economy.  The  assistance  of  a  good  school  is  by 
far  to  be  preferred. 

THE  ADVANTAGE  OF  HAVING  AN  INSTRUCTOR. 

While  there  is  no  royal  road  to  success  in  short- 
hand, the  advantages  of  having  personal  instruction 
are  obvious. 

We  quote  the  following  from  an  old  shorthand 
book:  "The  assistance  of  a  teacher,  when  it  can  be 
obtained,  is  of  great  advantage  in  the  study  of  this 
art.  Men  differ  in  their  genius  and  perceptions, 
and  every  pupil  has  his  own  peculiar  views  and  ideas. 
Difficulties  present  themselves  to  some  minds  which 
never  occur  to  others,  and  which  no  writer  on  the 
subject  can  anticipate.  It  is  impossible,  in  a  public 
treatise,  to  lay  down  rules  and  explanations  adapted 
to  the  several  capacities,  and  satisfactory  to  the  un- 


io  RUTHERFORD'S   PRACTICAL   POINTERS. 

derstanding  of  all  who  may  endeavor  to  learn  by  it. 
A  teacher,  however,  has  it  in  his  power  to  give  such 
minute  and  personal  instructions  as  cannot  fail  to 
produce  a  beneficial  result.  He  can  at  once  explain 
to  the  student  whatever  seems  obscure  and  ambigu- 
ous; can  solve  his  difficulties,  correct  his  mistakes, 
assist  his  invention,  encourage  him  in  his  progress, 
and  lead  him  on  to  practical  proficiency." 

By  the  aid  of  a  teacher,  the  difficulties  which 
beset  the  path  of  the  student  are  overcome,  and 
the  student  is  skillfully  guided  over  the  rough  places. 
To  have  a  teacher  to  point  out  errors  of  form  and 
outline,  mistakes  in  typewriting,  faults  in  spelling, 
and  lapses  in  punctuation,  is  an  almost  indispensa- 
ble aid.  An  encouraging  word,  an  appropriate  sug- 
gestion, which  the  conscientious  teacher  gives,  strips 
shorthand  of  many  of  its  difficulties.  Then,  when 
the  trials  of  study  are  over,  and  the  pupil  is  ready 
to  embark  in  business,  the  teacher  is  able  and  will- 
ing to  assist  him  to  a  good  position.  Get  a  good 
teacher,  then,  by  all  means,  and  you  will  find  your 
study  lightened. 

DON'T  GET  FITS  OF  THE  BLUES. 

It  is  a  mistake  to  think,  in  taking  up  the  study 
of  shorthand  and  typewriting,  that  all  will  be  smooth 
sailing.  Periods  of  depression  are  sure  to  come, 
when  storms  of  discouragement  will  sweep  down 
and  clouds  of  disappointment  will  almost  drive 


RUTHERFORD'S   PRACTICAL   POINTERS.  n 

away  all  hope  of  success.  There  may  be  times  when 
you  will  think  you  are  making  no  progress,  but 
don't  get  these  fits  of  the  "blues."  On  those  occa- 
sions, instead  of  giving  way  to  your  discouragement, 
spend  the  time  in  overcoming  the  difficulties  that 
have  beset  you.  You  will  find  the  difficulties  that 
seemed  almost  to  overwhelm  you  have  melted  away 
like  dim  shadows.  Don't  have  fits  of  the  "blues!" 
Have  confidence  in  your  teacher,  in  your  shorthand 
system,  and  in  your  own  ability,  for  the  difficulties 
you  overcome  add  immeasurably  to  your  strength 
and  make  the  final  only  seem  the  more  sweet. 

MAKE  HASTE  SLOWLY. 

The  old  Latin  proverb,  "Festine  Lente" — make 
haste  slowly — should  be  taken  seriously  to  heart  by 
the  shorthand  student.  Don't  be  over-anxious,  or 
in  too  great  a  hurry;  but  "make  haste  slowly." 

The  "blues"  alluded  to  previously  are  generally 
caused  by  the  fact  that  as  soon  as  the  average 
stenographic  student  touches  pen  or  pencil  to  paper, 
in  the  study  of  shorthand,  or  finger  to  typewriter, 
in  learning  typewriting,  he  makes  a  mistake.  He 
usually  gets  the  fallacious  idea  that  from  the  begin- 
ning his  sole  purpose  should  be  to  write  rapidly. 
Forget  that  there  is  such  a  thing  as  speed  in  short- 
hand and  typewriting  until  you  can  write  and  read 
fluently.  When  you  can  do  this,  speed  will  come 
almost  without  effort.  The  better  you  can  read  your 


12  RUTHERFORD  S     PRACTICAL     POINTERS. 

notes,  the  better  and  the  more  rapidly  you  will  write 
in  future.  It  will  take  you  fully  three  times  as  long 
to  learn  to  read  your  shorthand  notes  with  facility, 
as  it  does  to  learn  to  write  them.  Then  think — of 
what  use  are  your  shorthand  notes  if  you  cannot 
read  them!  Write  accurately  first,  last  and  all  the 
time,  and  speed  will  surely  follow.  Bear  this  in 
mind  now  and  always — "Make  haste  slowly." 

NOTE-BOOK  AND  PAPER. 

One  of  the  greatest  advantages  of  stenography 
is  its  ready  adaptability  to  emergencies.  All  that  is 
required  to  bring  it  immediately  into  service  is  paper 
of  good  quality,  preferably  in  the  shape  of  a  note- 
book opening  at  the  ends,  and  a  pencil  or  pen.  Be- 
cause of  the  fact  that  Gregg  Shorthand  is  written 
with  characters  all  of  one  thickness,  the  best  paper 
for  note-books  is  that  with  a  fairly  smooth  texture. 
This  offers  less  resistance  to  the  pen  or  pencil,  is 
therefore  easier  to  use,  and  avoids  all  danger  of  the 
pen  point  catching  in  the  paper,  as  it  often  does  in 
the  rough  paper  note-books.  While  it  is  not  abso- 
lutely necessary  that  the  paper  should  be  ruled  for 
use  with  Gregg  Shorthand,  ruled  paper  is  more 
convenient.  Note-books  ruled  in  blue  are  less 
fatiguing  to  the  eyes  than  those  ruled  in  red. 
A  good  plan  is  to  have  a  perpendicular  line  down 
the  middle  from  top  to  bottom  of  each  page.  The 
student  should  first  fill  up  the  space  on  the  left  of 


RUTHERFORDS     PRACTICAL    POINTERS,  13 

the  perpendicular  line,  and  then  the  space  on  the 
right.  This  will  insure  small  shorthand  characters, 
the  value  of  which  is  alluded  to  in  another  chapter. 
Write  on  the  side  of  the  paper  nearest  you  when 
the  book  is  open.  When  the  book  is  filled  on  one 
side,  turn  it  and  fill  it  on  the  other  side. 

THE  CORRECT  POSITION  IN  WRITING. 

In  learning  shorthand  and  writing  it  rapidly,  one 
must  have  a  comfortable  position.  Sit  well  in  front 
of  the  table — erect  as  in  writing  longhand.  Let 
the  left  arm  rest  on  the  table,  and  spread  the  fingers 
of  the  left  hand  on  the  lower  left  side  of  the  note- 
book, to  hold  the  paper  in  position.  Don't  lean 
your  chest  on  the  desk.  Hold  the  pen  or  pencil 
naturally  as  in  penmanship,  and  let  your  right  arm 
be  as  free  as  possible,  resting  lightly  on  the  table. 
The  little  finger  of  the  right  hand  should  glide  over 
the  paper.  Use  the  combined  forearm  and  finger 
movement.  Put  as  little  pressure  on  the  pen  or 
pencil  as  possible.  The  lighter  your  touch,  the 
faster  you  will  write.  Don't  rest  your  head  on  your 
left  hand,  because  that  hand  will  be  kept  busy  in 
turning  the  leaves  of  your  note-book.  Don't  lounge 
in  your  seat  when  taking  dictation,  or  during  lulls 
in  the  dictation;  it  looks  lazy  and  is  not  conducive 
to  speed. 

Be  alert,  ready  for  emergencies  and  rapid  spurts 
of  the  dictator  at  all  times.  One  never  knows  when 


14  RUTHERFORD'S   PRACTICAL   POINTERS. 

a  burst  of  speed  is  coming.  It  is  a  good  plan  to 
have  a  stiff-covered  note-book  and  practice  taking 
notes  with  the  book  resting  on  your  knees  occa- 
sionally. It  is  what  the  stenographer  has  to  do 
sometimes,  and  a  little  practice  will  fit  him  for  such 
an  emergency.  When  writing  on  your  knee,  the  left 
hand  must  be  spread  on  the  note-book  with  the  first 
finger  ready  to  turn  the  leaf. 

PEN  OR  PENCIL? 

It  is  an  open  and  much  debated  question,  which 
is  best  for  shorthand  writing — pen  or  pencil.  Both 
instruments  have  their  strong  advocates.  The  foun- 
tain pen  is  to  be  preferred,  provided  you  have  a  good 
one  and  good  ink.  The  ever-ready  pencil,  sharpened 
at  both  ends,  has  its  advantages,  however,  and  thou- 
sands of  reports  and  other  shorthand  data  are  daily 
taken  by  its  use.  If  the  pencil  point  breaks,  the 
other  end  can  be  brought  into  service  and  a  reserve 
pencil  will  place  two  other  points  at  your  instant 
disposal.  In  using  the  pencil,  however,  be  sure  to 
keep  it  sharp;  never  write  with  a  blunt  point. 
Further,  be  sure  to  get  a  pencil  of  good  quality, 
and  not  one  with  a  harsh  and  gritty  lead. 

The  notes  you  write  with  a  pen  are  clearer,  neater 
and  easier  to  read  than  pencil  notes.  Further,  there 
is  less  danger  of  their  becoming  obliterated  when 
writteri  with  pen  and  ink.  The  fountain  pen,  on  the 
other  hand,  has  its  drawbacks.  It  may  refuse  to 


RUTHERFORD'S   PRACTICAL   POINTERS.  15 

flow  just  at  the  exact  moment  you  desire  to  use  it. 
A  good  shaking  will  sometimes  remedy  this,  but  not 
always.  Again,  you  may  have  forgotten  to  fill  it, 
and  the  pen  runs  dry — a  contingency  which  must  be 
guarded  against  by  filling  it  regularly  every  morn- 
ing. The  ink  may  clog  from  various  causes.  With 
a  moderate  amount  of  care  and  attention,  however, 
the  fountain  pen  will  be  found  to  be  almost  indis- 
pensable to  the  shorthand  writer.  Use  a  fountain 
pen  if  you  can,  but  be  sure  that  it  is  a  good  one, 
suited  to  your  hand.  A  fine  point  is  generally  to 
be  preferred. 

SIZE  OF  NOTES. 

When  alluding  to  note-books  under  a  previous 
caption,  we  wrote  of  the  perpendicular  line  in  the 
middle  of  each  page  of  the  note-book.  It  has  been 
found  that  note-books  ruled  in  this  manner  tend  to 
decrease  the  size  of  notes.  The  average  stenog- 
rapher writes  his  shorthand  characters  too  large  and 
this  tendency  is  increased  when  he  writes  rapidly. 
Write  as  small  as  you  reasonably  can  and  let  the 
characters  be  as  close  together  as  possible.  Try 
to  find  your  "stride,"  and  stick  to  it.  The  shorter 
the  distance  the  hand  has  to  travel,  the  more 
quickly,  of  course,  the  distance  can  be  overcome. 
So,  large  notes,  by  causing  more  frequent  transition 
from  line  to  line  and  from  page  to  page,  hinder 
speed.  Don't  flourish  the  pencil  in  the  air,  making 
invisible  characters  before  beginning  to  write,  but 


16  RUTHERFORD'S   PRACTICAL   POINTERS. 

strike  the  paper  with  the  first  movement.  The  large 
straggling  notes  usually  prove  unintelligible. 

The  talented  author  of  Gregg  Shorthand  wrote 
the  following  excellent  advice  on  this  subject: 

"Avoid  a  sprawling  style  of  writing.  It  looks  un- 
sightly and  shows  a  lack. of  artistic  taste.  But  there 
are  practical  considerations  in  favor  of  neat,  com- 
pact shorthand  writing.  With  small  outlines  there 
is  less  traveling  of  the  hand  across  a  page,  less  effort 
and  flurry,  less  time  lost  in  passing  from  line  to  line 
and  page  to  page.  What  a  difference  there  is  in  the 
work  of  an  expert  and  a  beginner  at  the  reporter's 
table.  The  expert  seems  to  write  mechanically— 
the  pen  glides  smoothly  across  the  paper,  drops 
from  line  to  line  without  apparent  effort,  and  the 
page  turns  easily  without  a  rustle.  It  all  appears 
so  simple  that  one  is  apt  to  imagine  that  the  speaker 
is  going  at  a  very  moderate  pace;  but  this  idea  is 
quickly  dispelled  by  a  glance  at  the  beginner.  See 
the  wild  flourishes,  the  frantic  jump  from  line  to 
line,  and  the  excited  jerk  with  which  the  page  is 
turned — what  a  contrast!  Try  to  cultivate  a  neat, 
compact,  artistic  style  of  writing,  and  you  will  feel 
repaid  by  the  increased  speed  and  print-like  legi- 
bility that  will  result." 

PUNCTUALITY  AND  REGULARITY  IN  ATTENDANCE. 

Too  much  cannot  be  said  in  favor  of  punctuality 
and  regularity  in  attendance  at  school.  Many  stu- 


RUTHERFORD  S     PRACTICAL     POINTERS.  1 7 

dents  when  attending  a  business  school  think  that 
they  can  come  at  any  time,  (if  allowed  to  do  so), 
and  that  absence  of  a  day  or  more  will  make  no  dif- 
ference. This  is  the  wrong  idea.  Students  of  short- 
hand are  no  longer  school  children.  They  are  men 
and  women  who  have  entered  upon  the  business  of 
life  where  "time  is  money,"  and  habits  of  punctuality 
and  regularity  should  be  rigidly  enforced.  Rigid 
adherence  to  business  hours  is  demanded  by  em- 
ployers, and  habits  of  life  are  formed  in  student 
days;  therefore,  let  them  be  good  ones.  Throw  all 
your  energies  into  the  business  of  learning  short- 
hand and  typewriting  while  you  are  at  school  and 
accustom  yourself  to  habits  of  punctuality  and  a 
strict  adherence  to  the  business  at  hand. 

HAVE  CONFIDENCE  IN  YOUR  SYSTEM. 

If,  in  the  course  of  your  studies,  your  progress 
is  not  as  satisfactory  as  you  think  it  should  be,  do 
not  blame  the  system  of  shorthand  for  it.  Have 
confidence  in  your  system,  and  having  once  taken 
up  the  study,  let  no  fear  of  future  results  interfere 
with  present  duty.  Remember  that  hundreds  and 
thousands  of  young  people  have  studied  the  same 
method  before  you  and  have  succeeded — why 
shouldn't  you?  You  may  be  slow  in  acquiring  it, 
but  what  of  that?  "The  race  is  not  always  to  the 
swift,"  and  the  plodder  is  as  certain  to  reach  the 
goal  as  the  student  who  learns  rapidly — sometimes 


i8  RUTHERFORD'S    PRACTICAL   POINTERS. 

more  sure.  Don't  give  up  to  discouragement.  Suc- 
cess in  any  calling  is  but  the  natural  outcome  of  sure 
and  accurate  knowledge.  Gregg  Shorthand  is  so 
simple  and  rational  that  it  commends  itself  to  every- 
one, and  you  can  surely  learn  it.  Have  confidence 
that  you  can  do  what  others  have  done  and  you  will 
do  it  successfully. 

TRANSCRIBE  YOUR  NOTES. 

Several  years  ago  we  made  an  attempt  to  study 
one  of  the  early  English  methods  of  stenography 
without  the  aid  of  a  teacher.  We  progressed  finely, 
could  take  rapid  notes,  and  every  Sunday  endeav- 
ored to  report  our  minister's  sermon.  We  "fol- 
lowed" him  some  way  behind,  but  we  got  it  down 
somehow.  After  church,  however,  came  the  ordeal— 
to  transcribe  it.  Only  a  word  here  and  there  could 
be  read  and  the  rest  was  unintelligible.  There  was 
nothing  to  do  but  to  begin  the  study  of  shorthand 
again,  and  with  another  system,  for  being  young 
and  foolish,  we  conceived  the  idea  that  it  was  the 
system  that  was  at  fault.  The  next  time  we  had 
a  teacher  who  insisted  upon  our  reading  every  short- 
hand character  we  wrote,  and  then  all  difficulties 
of  reading  vanished.  Take  warning  by  our  ex- 
perience. 

If  you  wish  to  be  successful  with  shorthand,  read 
f  11  your  notes,  or  better  still,  transcribe  them  on  the 
typewriter.  You  will  learn  more  by  transcribing 


RUTHERFORD'S  PRACTICAL  POINTERS.  19 

shorthand  than  by  writing-  it.  Once  the  shorthand 
outlines  are  photographed  upon  the  brain,  as  they 
are  in  transcribing,  they  will  be  instantly  recalled 
whenever  the  word  is  heard.  You  will  then  write 
them  without  hesitation,  and  when  you  can  write 
shorthand  without  hesitation  you  will  have  the 
longed-for  speed. 

Do  not  think  this  time  spent  in  properly  learning 
the  principles  of  shorthand  and  typewriting  is 
wasted.  It  is  nothing  of  the  kind — it  is  time  saved. 
Just  realize  for  one  moment  what  your  position  will 
be  when  you  take  your  first  step  into  the  business 
world.  Your  employer  will  dictate  to  you  a  number 
of  letters,  perhaps  four,  and  maybe  forty.  You  take 
them  down  as  best  you  can.  Occasionally  an  un- 
familiar word  will  disturb,  or  perhaps  completely  dis- 
concert you.  You  make  a  supreme  effort  at  an  out- 
line, and  struggle  along,  wishing  you  had  your 
teacher  at  your  elbow  to  refer  to.  At  length  he 
finishes  and  curtly  says,  "The  machine  is  in  the 
corner;  the  paper's  in  the  drawer;  just  get  those 
letters  out  for  me  by  the  time  I  return." 

Then  you  are  left  alone  to  work  out  your  own 
salvation  as  a  stenographer.  This  is  the  crucial 
test,  where  you  will  prove  whether  you  have  studied 
properly.  You  go  to  the  machine  and  set  about 
your  work.  Your  employer  returns  in  due  course 
and  asks  for  his  letters.  Suppose  you  haven't  been 
able  to  read  your  notes.  The  letters  will  never  catch 


20  RUTHERFORDS     PRACTICAL    POINTERS. 

that  night's  mail  and  your  employer  will  probably 
look  for  another  stenographer  who  is  competent  to 
take  his  dictation.  And  would  he  not  be  justified 
in  discharging  you?  Inability  to  transcribe  their 
notes  is  the  great  failing  of  the  majority  of  stenog- 
raphers. Don't  be  one  of  that  class.  Transcribe 
every  line  of  shorthand  you  write  during  your  study 
of  shorthand,  and  you  will  not  go  through  such  an 
experience  as  that  outlined  above. 

IMPORTANCE  OF  READING  SHORTHAND. 

The  reading  of  shorthand  should  not  be  confined 
wholly  to  one's  own  notes.  It  is  well  to  read  nicely 
engraved  or  printed  shorthand  notes.  For  this  pur- 
pose the  "Gregg  Writer"  and  other  shorthand  publi- 
cations and  books  are  invaluable  and  should  be  used 
wherever  possible.  The  more  reading  of  shorthand 
the  pupil  gets,  the  more  familiar  the  characters  be- 
come, the  more  readily  also  they  are  recalled  and 
when  again  heard,  the  more  rapidly  they  are  written. 
For  years  the  author  of  Gregg  Shorthand  and  the 
writer  of  these  lines  have  corresponded  in  short- 
hand, written  on  unruled  paper,  and  every  word  has 
been  as  plain  and  legible  as  print.  Evidence  taken 
in  court,  and  at  hearings  has  been  transcribed  read- 
ily by  both. 

Gregg  Shorthand  by  its  invariability  of  outline, 
by  its  one  way  of  writing  each  word  in  the  English 
language,  is  especially  adapted  for  interchange  it. 


RUTHKRFORD'S  PRACTICAL  POINTERS.  21 

reading.  Subscribe  for  the  shorthand  magazine  of 
your  system  and  provide  yourself  with  all  the  short- 
hand literature  of  the  system.  Practice  it  and  read 
it  until  it  becomes  part  of  your  being.  You  will 
thus  lay  the  solid  foundation  without  which  success 
cannot  be  attained. 

MASTER  EACH  LESSON. 

We  found  by  years  of  experience  in  teaching  that 
many  pupils  are  anxious  to  study  lessons  ahead. 
They  imagine  they  know  a  lesson  when  the  prin- 
ciples seem  clear  to  them,  forgetting  that  there  is 
a  wide  difference  between  theory  and  practice.  It 
is  a  mistake  to  start  a  new  lesson  until  the  preceding 
one  is  mastered.  Omit  nothing  and  do  not  con- 
fuse your  knowledge  by  perfunctory  study  of  what 
is  too  advanced  for  you.  Learn  each  principle  in 
each  lesson  thoroughly  and  let  your  teacher  be  judge 
of  whether  you  are  ready  for  new  lessons.  Each 
principle  is  a  stone  on  which  will  rest  the  structure 
of  your  shorthand  knowledge,  and  if  a  stone  is  lack- 
ing in  the  foundation  the  structure  cannot  stand 
firmly. 

DON'T  SACRIFICE  LEGIBILITY  FOR  SPEED. 

Those  who  know  little  or  nothing  about  short- 
hand frequently  ask  the  stenographer,  "How  fast 
do  you  write?"  and  the  shorthand  writer  may  care- 
lessly reply,  "Oh!  about  150  to  200  words  per 


22  RUTHERFORD'S    PRACTICAL   POINTERS. 

minute."  Whenever  you  hear  anyone  talk  like  that, 
just  put  your  hand  in  your  pocket,  take  out  all  the 
spare  cash  you  have,  lay  it  on  the  table  and  say: 
"All  this  and  more  shall  be  yours  if  you  will  kindly 
sit  down  and  write  in  shorthand  what  I  shall  dic- 
tate, at  the  rate  you  state,  150  words  per  minute, 
and  then  give  me  an  accurate  transcript  of  what  you 
have  written."  Then  you  will  see  the  rapid  one  hide 
his  diminished  head  and  vanish  within  his  shell,  as 
he  faintly  replies,  "Well,  I  am  sorry,  but  I  can't 
possibly  stop  just  now  to  give  you  a  test,  as  I  have 
a  previous  engagement,  but  I  used  to  write  at  that 
speed  when  I  went  to  school."^ 

Never  boast  of  your  speed!  I  Aim  for  accuracy  and 
legibility  first  and  speed  will  follow.  Speed  as  ap- 
plied to  shorthand  is  a  comparative  term.  Every- 
thing depends  on  the  matter  dictated.  Words'  of 
one  syllable,  it  is  true,  may  be  written  at  great 
speed,  or  great  speed  may  be  attained  by  practicing 
the  same  matter  over  and  over  again,  but  such  tests 
do  not  represent  the  actual,  regular,  normal  rate 
at  which  the  student  can  write. 

The  English  language  is  so  rich  in  words  that  it 
is  possible  to  make  the  most  skillful  writer  of  short- 
hand in  the  world  slacken  when  words  are  dictated 
that  are  not  in  his  vocabulary.  He  has  to  think  of 
the  shorthand  forms,  and  in  doing  so  hesitates,  and 
hence  the  speed  is  diminished. 

To  illustrate  a  case  in  point:    Suppose  a  self-made 


RUTHERFORD'S   PRACTICAL   POINTERS.  23 

man  makes  a  speech,  and  in  alluding  to  his  father's 
early  life,  says:  "My  father  was  a  farm  laborer  and 
used  a  pick  and  shovel."  This  is  easy  language, 
readily  taken  down,  but  suppose  for  a  moment  that 
you  had  to  report  the  speech  of  a  highly  educated 
Boston  lady  whose  father  was,  by  a  strange  coin- 
cidence, also  self-made  and  formerly  used  a  pick  and 
shovel.  She  would  not  use  the  same  language  in 
conveying  this  information,  but  whatever  she  said, 
you,  as  the  shorthand  writer,  would  have  to  record 
verbatim.  She  might  murmur  something  like  this: 
"My  estimable  and  venerable  paternal  antecedent 
was  an  indefatigable  manipulator  of  agricultural  im- 
plements." In  taking  words  like  these,  one's  boasted 
speed  would  dwindle  considerably.  Do  not  then 
boast  of  your  speed,  but  aim  for  legibility  and  accur- 
acy, and  speed  will  come  gradually.  When  you  hear 
an  uncommon  or  unfamiliar  word,  practice  the  out- 
line over  and  over  again,  until  it  can  be  written 
fluently.  Then  find  others  and  deal  with  them  in 
the  same  way.  Never  write  your  shorthand  char- 
acters in  a  way  that  will  imperil  their  legibility. 

HAVE  FAITH  IN  YOUR  TEACHER. 

Some  students  are  prone  to  lose  faith  in  the 
teacher  when  they  find  they  are  not  advancing  as 
rapidly  as  they  think  they  should.  They  consider  it 
an  injustice  to  be  told  to  review  a  lesson,  and  they 
think  the  teacher  is  trying  to  retard  their  progress. 


24  RUTHERFORD'S   PRACTICAL   POINTERS. 

It  is  always  a  pleasure  to  a  teacher  to  have  bright, 
energetic  students,  but  teachers  appreciate  that  all 
students  are  not  of  the  same  caliber  of  intellect.  The 
ideal  teacher  endeavors  to  understand  each  pupil 
and  do  the  best  for  him.  The  teacher  is  there  to 
guide  the  student  through  the  right  paths  of  learn- 
ing, but  he  is  not  there  to  do  the  thinking  and  the 
studying.  These  the  student  must  do  for  himself. 
The  student  is  usually  safe  in  deferring  to  the  teach- 
er's superior  wisdom  and  advice,  and  if  he  bears 
this  in  mind  he  will  not  lose  faith  in  his  teacher. 
One  sometimes  meets  a  pupil  who  has  the  ability 
to  study,  but  will  not  apply  himself,  and  yet  desires 
to  keep  up  with  those  who  have  spent  more  time 
on  their  studies.  This  class  of  student  feels 
aggrieved  when  he  is  told  to  review  his  work.  If 
you  are  one  of  these  unfortunates,  don't  lose  faith  in 
your  teacher,  but  show  him  that  you  are  ambitious 
and  interested  in  your  work.  Be  assured  that  he 
is  doing  what  is  best  for  you  and  the  difficulty  is 
with  you.  He  would  be  glad  to  have  every  pupil 
in  his  class  bright,  active,  alert,  and  energetic.  It 
would  simplify  his  work. 

Your  future  welfare  is  your  teacher's  constant 
care,  his  every  attention  is  devoted  to  your  progress, 
and  it  lies  with  you  whether  or  not  success  shall 
attend  his  efforts.  Have  faith  in  your  teacher — 
heed  what  he  says,  follow  his  instructions  faithfully, 


RUTHERFORD  S     PRACTICAL     POINTERS.  25 

conscientiously  and  intelligently.     Your  reward  will 
then  be  sure. 

PRACTICE— PRACTICE  -  PRACTICE. 

This  is  the  only  true  speed  secret  and  the  only 
road  to  stenographic  success  in  any  of  its  branches. 
Practice — practice — practice.  Sir  Walter  Scott's 
advice  to  seekers  for  success  was  "never  to  be  doing 
nothing."  The  immortal  Franklin  wrote  that  the 
golden  way  to  success  was  to  "keep  busy."  And 
Ovid,  hundreds  of  years  ago,  wrote  the  following 
excellent  advice:  "To  wish  is  of  slight  conse- 
quence; thou  oughtest  to  desire  with  earnestness  to 
be  successful."  Success  in  shorthand  and  typewrit- 
ing, like  success  in  any  walk  of  life,  is  earned  only 
by  those  who  "keep  everlastingly  at  it."  To  perse- 
vere, to  work  faithfully  for  the  desired  end,  and  to 
economize  every  moment  of  the  day  is  the  key  to 
success.  The  following  anecdote  taken  from  an  old 
shorthand  magazine  will  aptly  illustrate  the  ad- 
vantage of  utilizing  spare  time  in  practice: 

"I  happened  in  a  busy  man's  office  the  other  day, 
and  while  waiting  to  see  him  I  was  much  im- 
pressed with  the  foolish  waste  of  time  his 
stenographer  was  indulging  in.  She  sat  in  an  easy 
chair,  in  a  comfortable  nook  of  the  office,  doing 
absolutely  nothing.  At  her  side  was  an  elegant  oak 
typewriter  cabinet,  in  which  rested  a  new  Smith- 
Premier  typewriter.  I  waited  some  fifteen  minutes, 


26  RUTHERFORD'S   PRACTICAL   POINTERS. 

and  during  all  that  time  she  sat  there  idly.  After 
transacting  my  business  with  her  employer,  I  was 
bold  enough  to' ask  him  in  an  undertone  how  he 
got  along  with  his  stenographer.  He  immediately 
responded:  The  girl  I  have  is  a  fairly  good  short- 
hand writer,  but  is  a  very  poor  typewriter  operator; 
her  letters  are  full  of  mistakes,  and  she  cannot 
operate  the  machine  with  any  speed;  but  I  suppose 
that  is  due  to  the  fact  that  she  has  only  a  little  work 
to  do  here  each  day;  does  not  have  enough  practice, 
so  I  can't  blame  her.'  'Yes,  you  can,'  said  I.  'Both 
you  and  she  are  to  blame.  Now,  let  me  give  you 
a  pointer.  When  she  has  no  letters  to  write,  put 
her  to  copying  articles  from  newspapers,  books,  or 
anything  to  keep  that  machine  busy  all  the  time.' 
He  thanked  me,  and  thought  it  a  capital  idea,  and 
when  I  met  him  a  few  days  after,  the  very  first  thing 
he  said  to  me  was:  'Harrison,  both  my  stenographer 
and  I  owe  you  a  vote  of  thanks  for  that  copying 
idea  you  gave  me  the  other  day;  she  has  improved 
a  hundred  per  cent  in  her  typewriting  and  I  intend 
to  raise  her  salary  next  month.' ' 

.What  applies  to  typewriting  in  this  case  will  ap- 
ply equally  well  to  shorthand.  Don't  be  idle;  utilize 
every  spare  moment  and  practice — practice — 

practice. 

A  FEW  DON'TS. 

DON'T  ERASE.  That  is  to  say,  never  use  an 
eraser  to  correct  an  error  in  shorthand  writing.  Sim- 


RUTHERFORD  S     PRACTICAL    POINTERS.  27- 

ply  pass  your  pen  or  pencil  through  the  word  incor- 
rectly written  and  proceed.  At  first,  your  note-book 
may  be  full  of  crossed-out  words,  but  they  will 
gradually  become  fewer. 

DON'T  WET  THE  END  OF  YOUR  PENCIL.  It  isn't 
a  clean  habit,  and  serves  no  good  purpose.  The 
moisture  hardens  the  lead,  and  the  pencil  never 
marks  so  well  as  it  did  before.  Keep  your  pencil 
sharp,  and  if  the  lead  is  too  hard  to  give  a  clear 
mark,  get  another,  but  never  wet  the  point  of  the 
pencil,  or  nibble  at  the  other  end. 

DON'T  TALK  DURING  STUDY  HOURS.  You  cannot 
talk  and  study  too,  so  do  your  work  first,  and  talk 
after  school  hours.  When  talking  during  study 
hours,  you  are  not  only  wasting  your  own  time  but 
you  are  diverting  the  mind  of  your  fellow  student, 
who  may  be  less  able  to  afford  it.  You  are  doing 
your  class-mate,  your  teacher,  and  yourself  injustice 
by  talking — so  don't  chatter.  Silence  is  golden. 

DON'T  ASSUME  THAT  You  KNOW  MORE  ABOUT 
SHORTHAND  THAN  YOUR  INSTRUCTOR,  OR  EVEN  THE 
AUTHOR  OF  THE  SYSTEM  You  STUDY.  We  have  be- 
fore now  met  students  who  assumed  they  "knew 
it  all."  Be  sure  that  your  teacher's  knowledge  and 
experience  qualify  him  for  the  position  he  holds. 
Have  patience  to  learn,  and  as  your  studies  develop 
you  will  doubtless  find  your  teacher  is  usually  right. 
Don't  try  to  improve  on  the  system — at  least  until 
you  have  comprehensive  knowledge  of  it!  Every 


28  RUTHERFORD'S   PRACTICAL   POINTERS. 

form  and  outline  in  the  text-book  has  been  placed 
there  after  mature  deliberation.  Be  modest,  unas- 
suming, polite  and  attentive,  giving  respectful  at- 
tention at  all  times  to  those  who  are  trying  to  teach 
you. 

DON'T  FLOURISH  YOUR  PEN  OR  PENCIL  IN  THE  AIR. 
Many  students,  especially  those  who  have  studied 
penmanship  to  a  marked  degree,  are  fond  of  draw- 
ing imaginary  circles  in  the  air  preparatory  to  start- 
ing a  new  sentence,  or  writing  a  shorthand  form. 
This  will  not  do  for  the  shorthand  writer — he  must 
think  of  the  shorthand  outline  and  write  it  without 
the  slightest  hesitation.  Keeping  the  pencil  close 
to  the  paper  saves  time,  so  don't  flourish. 

DON'T  FAIL  TO  SUBSCRIBE  FOR  THE  MAGAZINE  OF 
YOUR  SYSTEM.  We  advise  this  because  it  en- 
courages the  student.  He  learns  of  the  success  of 
others  and  he  sees  the  best  examples  of  shorthand 
writing.  He  reads  hints  that  will  help  him  and  he 
obtains  abundant  reading  matter  and  writing  exer- 
cise. He  finds  that  others  are  experiencing  the  same 
difficulties  that  he  has  met  with  and  he  learns  ways 
of  overcoming  them.  All  this  and  more  the  short- 
hand magazine  will  do  for  students.  The  magazine 
habit  is  a  good  one. 

HOW  TO  WRITE  THE  NEW  WORDS. 

To  get  speed  in  shorthand  you  must  learn  to  write 
unfamiliar  words.  Enlarge  your  vocabulary  by  mak- 


RUTHERFORD  S     PRACTICAL    POINTERS.  2Q 

ing  a  mental  note  of  any  word  over  the  outline  of 
which  you  are  puzzled.  The  amateur  will  meet  with 
them  constantly.  When  taking  dictation,  do  not  stop 
your  dictator,  but  make  an  attempt  to  write  the 
word  and  draw  a  circle  around  it.  When  the  dicta- 
tion is  finished  return  to  it.  If  you  have  a  long  out- 
line, don't  be  satisfied  with  it,  work  at  it  until  you 
have  discovered  a  briefer  form,  which  will  be  even 
more  legible.  Apply  the  rules,  and  when  you  have 
found  the  best  outline,  practice  it  until  you  can 
write  it  with  facility — and  then  it  will  never  bother 
you  again.  If  this  be  done  intelligently  with  every 
new  word,  you  will  be  astonished  to  find  how  in  a 
very  little  while,  as  your  capacity  for  handling  the 
word-building  principles  increases,  the  most  difficult 
words  will  become  easy. 

Don't  write  a  new  word  in  longhand — it  discloses 
your  weakness,  and  will  cause  others  to  lose  confi- 
dence in  your  ability,  besides  having  a  pernicious 
effect  on  you.  Write  the  word  in  shorthand  to  the 
best  of  your  ability,  and,  as  the  esteemed  author  of 
our  system  says,  "put  a  ring  around  it,"  as  a  re- 
minder, so  that  you  may  get  the  best  form  later  on 
by  your  own  efforts,  from  the  teacher,  or  from  the 
shorthand  dictionary. 

You  will  be  assisted  much  in  writing  new  and  un- 
common words,  if  you  will  occasionally  review  your 
text-book.  Review  all  the  principles  and  characters 
in  the  text-book,  and  you  will  be  astonished  to  find 


30  RUTHERFORD'S   PRACTICAL   POINTERS. 

what  a  number  you  have  forgotten,  if  you  have  not 
kept  up  frequent  reviews.  A  careful  review,  occa- 
sionally, will  give  you  greater  fluency,  better  out- 
lines, better  work,  greater  ease  in  reading,  will  save 
questioning  the  teacher,  promote  self-reliance,  en- 
large your  vocabulary  and  consequently  increase 
speed. 

HOW  TO  WRITE  THE  LONG  WORDS. 

Mr.  David  Wolfe  Brown,  in  his  clever  book  on 
"The  Factors  of  Shorthand  Speed,"  writes:  "If  the 
young  phonographer  could  only  write  all  the  words 
as  promptly  and  rapidly  as  he  can  write  some,  how 
smooth  his  pathway  would  be." 

Herein  lies  the  whole  secret  of  rapid  shorthand 
writing — how  to  write  the  long  words.  It  is  not  so 
much  the  slowness  of  the  hand  as  the  hesitation  in 
thinking  of  the  outline  of  a  new  or  uncommon 
word,  that  causes  the  stenographer  to  fall  behind 
the  dictator.  The  only  remedy  for  this  was  detailed 
under  the  preceding  heading,  with  the  further  in- 
junction that,  in  the  case  of  long  words,  you  must 
"divide  and  conquer." 

Gregg  Shorthand  is  especially  adapted  for  writing 
in  syllables.  If  the  student,  on  hearing  an  uncom- 
mon word,  will  divide  it  into  syllables,  and  write  two, 
or  at  most  three,  syllables  of  each  word,  writing  con- 
sonants and  vowels  in  regular  order,  he  will  find  that 
the  hard  words  will  be  made  easy  to  write.  The 


RUTHERFORD'S   PRACTICAL   POINTERS.  31 

forms  will  be  written  without  difficulty  or  hesita- 
tion, and  read  with  equal  facility.  Take  words  like 
in-clem-en-cy,  re-min-is-cence,  mis-con-cep-tion,  tan- 
tal-iz-ing,  un-dis-cov-er-able.  Divided  into  syllables 
the  difficulty  vanishes. 

Then  learn  to  drop  the  terminations;  that  is,  write 
only  so  much  of  the  word  as  is  necessary  to  convey 
the  meaning.  The  words  given  in  the  text-book 
will  give  plenty  of  drill  in  this  respect.  The  inser- 
tion of  the  vowels  in  regular  order  with  the  con- 
sonants, opens  up  a  wide  field  in  syllabic  writing  and 
abbreviation,  it  simplifies  the  writing  of  long  words 
and  enables  the  student  to  make  progress  that  is 
unattainable  in  any  other  shorthand  method.  We 
urge  upon  the  student  to  practice  this  method  of 
syllabic  writing  as  much  as  possible.  Work  out  the 
outline  of  each  word  syllable  by  syllable  as  you  write. 

Don't  attempt  to  memorize  the  outlines  of  long 
words,  parrot  fashion,  but  apply  the  rules  given  in 
the  text-book.  Try  to  make  the  burden  on  the 
memory  as  light  as  possible,  and  this  can  best  be 
achieved  in  shorthand  by  dividing  the  long  words 
into  syllables  and  so  conquering  them. 

WORD  SIGNS  AND  CONTRACTIONS. 

Learn  all  the  word  signs  thoroughly,  so  that  you 
can  recall  them  without  the  slightest  hesitation. 
These  word-signs  comprise  from  5  to  7  words  out  of 
every  10  words  in  an  ordinary  sentence,  which  is, 


32  RUTHERFORD  S     PRACTICAL     POINTERS. 

perhaps,  more  than  half  the  number  of  ordinary 
words  in  a  sentence.  From  this  you  will  see  how 
essential  it  is  that  they  should  be  thoroughly 
memorized  and  practiced  until  the  writing  of  them 
becomes  automatic.  "Speed,"  writes  Mr.  J.  E. 
Munson,  "depends  chiefly  upon  the  ability  of  the 
writer  to  make  the  various  outlines  of  words  with- 
out hesitation."  To  this  we  would  add:  learn  your 
word-signs  so  well  that  you  can  write  them  without 
the  slightest  hesitation,  and  you  will  then  have  more 
time  to  spare  in  writing  the  outlines  of  the  new  and 
uncommon  words. 

BRIEF  OUTLINES  OFTEN  DECEPTIVE. 

The  briefest  outlines  are  not  always  the  best.  An 
outline  that  can  be  written  with  freedom,  and  with- 
out perceptible  effort,  is  at  all  times  preferable  to 
one  written  carefully  and  with  an  effort,  though  the 
former  occupies  twice  as  much  space  as  the  latter. 
Mr.  David  Wolfe  Brown  writes:  "A  long  outline 
for  a  new  or  strange  word  is  something  that  no 
stenographer  should  be  afraid  of.  Frequently  a  long 
outline,  which  suggests  itself  readily,  is  more  quickly 
written  than  a  shorter  one,  which  requires  the  writer 
to  stop  and  think."  The  one  slope,  the  one  position, 
and  the  one  thickness  of  Gregg  Shorthand  are  great 
factors  in  securing  uniformity  and  invariability  of 
outline.  The  insertion  of  the  vowels  also  materially 
assists  in  providing,  without  alternative  characters, 


RUTHERFORD  S     PRACTICAL     POINTERS.  33 

the  briefest  outlines  for  words  by  dropping  the  ter- 
minations. This  abbreviating  principle,  if  properly 
carried  out,  will  place  at  the  finger  ends  of  the  Gregg 
writer  the  briefest  and  easiest  written  outlines  pos- 
sible in  any  system  of  shorthand,  and  yet  secure  a 
degree  of  legibility  not  equaled  by  any  other  method. 
In  your  work,  then,  find  that  outline,  as  you  readily 
can  do,  that  is  the  most  easily  written,  although  it 
may  occupy  on  the  paper  a  rather  larger  space  than 
a  briefer  though  more  difficult  outline.  When  found, 
"make  a  note  of  it"  and  practice  it.  Never  strive 
after  a  brief  outline  to  the  sacrifice  of  legibility. 

INVARIABILITY  OF  OUTLINE. 

In  a  properly  constituted  system  of  shorthand 
there  should,  in  the  main,  be  but  one  way  of  writing 
a  word.  The  less  variability  of  outline  there  is,  the 
better.  "Frequent  hesitation  as  to  the  proper  forms 
of  words,"  writes  the  author  of  Graham's  Short- 
hand— Andrew  J.  Graham — "takes  away  very  much 
from  the  facility  of  writing."  The  Gregg  is  espe- 
cially remarkable  for  its  invariability  of  outline.  The 
majority  of  words  in  the  English  language  can  be 
written  in  one  way  only  in  the  Gregg — hence  its 
superiority  over  the  other  methods.  Mr.  David 
Wolfe  Brown  writes:  "Invariability  of  outline  is  one 
prime  factor  of  speed.  To  allow  one's  self  to  write 
a  word  in  several  different  ways  entails  a  certain 
degree  of  hesitation,  which  must  postpone  or  defeat 


34  RUTHERFORD  S     PRACTICAL     POINTERS. 

that  happy  condition — the  most  favorable  condition 
to  high  speed — when  mind  and  hand  shall  work,  as 
it  were,  automatically."  Again,  Mr.  Andrew  J. 
Graham  has  well  said:  "You  should  have  settled 
forms  for  the  more  frequent  and  effective  words." 
Such  good  advice  as  this  coming  from  such  sources 
is  invaluable,  and  it  should  be  a  source  of  gratifica- 
tion to  the  Gregg  writer  and  student  to  know  that 
the  system  he  uses  is  especially  remarkable  in 
its  invariability  of  outline.  There  is  only  one 
way  of  writing  a  word  in  the  Gregg,  and  this  insures 
not  only  less  hesitation — consequently  speed — but 
legibility,  which  is  of  equal,  if  not  of  greater 
importance. 

CARRYING  WORDS  AND  SENTENCES  IN  THE  MIND. 

In  taking  dictation  the  student  should  train  him- 
self to  carry  in  his  mind  as  many  words  and  sen- 
tences as  possible.  A  spurt  on  the  part  of  the  dic- 
tator will  sometimes  carry  him  a  dozen  or  more 
words  ahead  of  the  writer.  These  words  must  be 
carried  in  the  mind,  and  written  as  quickly  as  pos- 
sible. I^will  require  practice  to  do  this  but  every- 
thing comes  to  him  who  tries.  When  taking  dicta- 
tion at  a  rate  of  speed  which  is  easily  within  your 
ability,  it  is  well  occasionally  to  fall  behind  a  little 
way,  so  that  you  may  train  your  mind  to  retain  a 
whole  sentence  and  then  by  recalling  the  sentence 
and  writing  rapidly  you  can  catch  up  with  the 


RUTHERFORD  S     PRACTICAL     POINTERS.  35 

speaker.  The  better  plan,  however,  is  to  get 
the  dictator  to  read  more  rapidly  than  you  can 
write.  In  this  way  you  must  train  your  mind  to 
carry  several  sentences,  and  when  the  actual  work 
comes  in  business  you  will  find  the  ability  of  great 
advantage. 

PERSEVERANCE  CONQUERS  ALL. 

As  we  wrote  under  a  previous  heading,  it  is  neces- 
sary for  the  student  of  shorthand  and  typewriting 
to  avoid  discouragement  and  at  all  times  to  perse- 
vere. Lay  a  good  foundation  by  having  a  thorough 
knowledge  of  your  alphabet — next,  from  time  to 
time,  review  your  lessons — then  memorize  the  word- 
signs.  Every  time  you  hear  or  read  an  uncommon 
or  new  word  think  of  the  outline.  If  you  have  no 
pencil  or  paper  at  h-and,  trace  the  outline  with  your 
finger.  In  fact,  think  in  shorthand  as  much  as  you 
can  arid  if  you  are  an  energetic  and  enthusiastic 
student  you  will  do  so  whether  you  have  read  this 
or  not.  Read  all  the  shorthand  you  can  find,  and 
be  sure  to  read  all  you  write.  We  urge  upon  you 
to  cultivate  the  habit  of  reading  well-written  short- 
hand. Subscribe  for  the  magazine  of  your  system. 

If  you  come  across  a  difficult  word,  and  do  not 
find  the  outline  as  brief  as  you  fancy  it  might  be, 
ask  the  opinion  of  your  teacher.  Put  your  heart 
and  soul  in  your  work  and  master  it.  Don't  let  it 
be  said,  "He  tried  to  learn  shorthand  and  was  not 


36  RUTHERFORD'S   PRACTICAL   POINTERS. 

successful."  If  others  succeed — why  not  you?  They 
persevered,  and  so  must  you.  Speed  will  come 
gradually  and  without  effort  other  than  practice. 
Facility  of  execution  will  come  with  practice,  and 
quickness  of  thought  will  follow  by  like  training. 
Remember  the  old  Latin  adage:  "Perseverentia 
omnia  vincit" — it  is  old,  but  it  is  good  advice  and 
it  has  done  wonders;  it  has  made  civilization  and 
progress  what  it  is  today.  Take  heed  to  it  and 
it  will  work  wonders  for  you.  "Perseverance  con- 
quers all  things." 

ENLARGE  YOUR  VOCABULARY  BY  READING. 

The  greatest  trouble  that  employers  find  with 
average  stenographers  is  that  they  have  not  enough 
general  information.  The  ability  to  write  shorthand 
at  a  moderate  speed  and  to  transcribe  it  on  the 
typewriter  should  never  be  the  ultimate  goal  of  the 
ambitious  stenographer.  He  should  not  be  satisfied 
with  standing  on  the  bottom  rung  of  the  ladder 
when  there  is  so  much  room  at  the  top.  Improve 
yourself  by  reading,  or  better  still,  get  some  one  to 
read  good  books  to  you  on  a  variety  of  subjects  so 
that  you  can  take  them  down  in  shorthand.  By  this 
plan  you  fulfil  a  triple  purpose.  You  improve  your 
mind,  enlarge  your  vocabulary,  and  add  materially 
to  your  shorthand  knowledge  and  speed.  If  you 
cannot  get  a  fellow  student  to  join  you  in  this  plan, 
you  may  be  able  to  form  a  class  of  young  people, 


RUTHERFORD'S   PRACTICAL   POINTERS.  37 

who  will  meet  once  or  twice  a  week  or  oftener,  and 
read  aloud  in  turn.  Try  this;  it  will  increase  your 
speed,  enlarge  your  knowledge,  add  to  your  vocab- 
ulary and  benefit  you  in  many  ways.  Dictation  from 
any  interesting  book,  leading  articles  from  a  news- 
paper, any  matter,  in  fact,  that  is  good  English 
will  assist  you  materially.  "All  is  grist  that  comes 
to  the  mill"  in  the  shape  of  practice,  and  the  wider 
the  scope  of  the  reading  the  better  the  result.  Im- 
prove yourself. 

INDEPENDENT  READING. 

In  all  your  writing  of  shorthand  do  not  neglect  'to 
read  independently  and  without  assistance  from  your 
dictator.  Good  reading  will  come  by  practice,  but 
in  no  other  way.  Make  sense  of  what  you  transcribe 
and  don't  substitute.  By  that  we  mean  don't 
"make  sense  of  it"  by  reading  something  that  is 
similar,  but  not  quite  correct.  The  business  man 
in  dictating  a  letter  wants  transcribed  exactly 
what  he  said.  He  does  not  want  you  to  sub- 
stitute or  put  in  something  that  he  did  not  say, 
because  you  cannot  read  your  notes.  Neither  does 
he  desire  you  to  alter  a  sentence  because  it  reads 
better  that  way.  Your  duty  as  a  stenographer  is  to 
record  the  expressed  thoughts  or  spoken  words  of 
your  employer,  or  dictator,  intelligently,  and  you 
can  do  this  only  when  you  write  shorthand  rapidly 
enough  to  record  what  is  dictated  and  read  your 

47107 


38  RUTHERFORD'S   PRACTICAL   POINTERS. 

notes  well  enough  to  transcribe  them  without  assist- 
ance. If  a  word  or  a  sentence  puzzles  you  during 
the  progress  of  your  course  of  training,  study  it  out 
for  yourself  and  do  not  bother  your  fellow  student 
with  it.  Strive  to  work  out  your  own  salvation,  and 
with  perseverance  and  the  cultivation  of  self-reliance 
you  will  become  a  first-class  stenographer. 

CLEANLINESS: 

We  have  already  urged  upon  the  student  punctu- 
ality in  attendance  at  school  and  in  business,  and 
we  would  now  like  to  say  a  word  about  cleanliness. 
Some  students  consider  this  a  minor  matter.  On 
the  contrary,  it  is  of  vital  importance,  not  only  to 
the  student  but  to  the  stenographer.  Cleanliness 
includes  tidiness,  not  only  personal  tidiness,  but  tidi- 
ness of  your  books,  papers  and  office  equipment. 

First,  to  treat  of  the  personal  portion:  See  that 
your  hands  are  clean  and  that  your  clothing  is  neat. 
Look  after  your  finger  nails  and  see  that  your  hair 
is  tidy.  Take  pride  in  yourself,  be  sharp,  bright  and 
active.  Shorthand  should  and  must  make  you  quick 
and  energetic.  Keep  your  books  and  papers  free 
from  lead-pencil  marks  and  ink  stains.  Use  a  rub- 
ber band  on  your  note-book  to  mark  the  page  you 
are  using.  Don't  allow  the  corners  of  your  note- 
book to  become  "dog  eared."  Learn  how  to  sharpen 
a  lead  pencil  without  covering  your  fingers  with 
lead.  Keep  your  desk  in  order;  be  systematic,  and 


RUTHERFORD  S     PRACTICAL     POINTERS.  39 

• 

when  you  get  into  business  take  the  same  care  of 
your  desk  or  table.  Keep  your  machine  clean. 
Don't  think  that  the  first  duty  of  a  stenographer  is 
to  be  "an  .ornament"  to  the  office.  Dress  neatly, 
but  not  conspicuously.  Employers  like  to  see  their 
employes  neatly  dressed  and  presentable,  but  not 
gaudily  attired.  Look  "smart"  and  be  smart. 

PHRASING. 

The  suggestion  to  the  student  that  he  should  be- 
gin to  phrase,  or  join  common  words  from  the  start, 
is  a  strong  feature  of  Gregg  Shorthand.  Some 
methods  reserve  this  until  the  student  is  advanced 
in  the  study,  but  it  is  found  to  be  difficult  to  acquire 
at  that  stage.  The  student,  however,  must  guard 
against  a  waste  of  time  in  striving  to  think  out 
phrases  for  himself.  "There  is  nothing,"  writes  Mr. 
David  Wolfe  Brown,  "more  unprofitable,  and  noth- 
ing more  likely  to  make  a  slow  writer  than  the  pre- 
mature study  of  phrasing  rules,  and  the  premature 
attempt  to  apply  them  in  impromptu  phrase-con- 
struction." The  best  way  is  to  memorize  a  number 
of  constantly  recurring,  useful  phrases,  those  only 
which  join  easily  and  readily.  Use  them  whenever 
possible,  but  without  making  a  special  effort,  or  tax 
upon  the  memory  to  do  so.  They  will  come  nat- 
urally after  a  little  practice.  Don't  lose  time  in 
trying  to  make  outlines  which  carry  the  hand  un- 
comfortably above  or  below  the  line  of  writing.  Let 


40  RUTHERFORD  S     PRACTICAL     POINTERS. 

your  phrases,  at  first,  consist  of  simple  words;  those 
clearly  set  forth  in  the  Gregg  text-book  and  others 
like  them.  Rightly  studied  and  rightly  used,  phras- 
ing is  a  great  factor  for  speed  and  legibility.  If 
carried  too  far,  it  is  likely  to  be,  as  Mr.  A.  P.  Little, 
of  Rochester,  described  it,  "The  most  infernal  mis- 
take that  was  ever  made,"  for  it  will  not  add  to  the 
writer's  speed,  but  absolutely  retard  it.  We  strongly 
urge  students  not  to  try  to  invent  phrases  at  first. 
Know  your  system  thoroughly  first;  learn  the  simple 
phrases  given  in  each  lesson  in  the  text-book.  Work 
on  these,  and  gradually,  as  you  practice  them,  you 
will  find  that  other  facile  forms  and  phrases  will 
occur  to  you  without  effort,  and  you  will  then  easily 
construct  your  own  phrases.  The  only  rule  to  be 
observed  in  the  Gregg  for  phrasing  is  to  use  only 
such  phrases  as  form  natural,  facile  junctions,  and 
which  do  not  carry  the  hand  too  far  above  or  below 
the  line  of  writing.  Phrasing  should  come  without 
effort;  do  not  be  constantly  striving  to  construct 
new  or  original  phrases.  If  a  combination  of  words 
will  not  phrase  readily,  write  them  out  separately. 


PART   II. 

Pointers    About    Typewriting 


THE  MACHINE. 

It  will  be  impossible  in  the  following  pointers  to 
deal  fully  with  the  mechanism  of  the  various  makes 
of  typewriters.  This  information  can  best  be  ob- 
tained from  publications  on  the  subject  issued  by 
the  typewriter  companies.  Neither  is  it  our  inten- 
tion to  enter  into  a  disquisition  as  to  the  advantage 
of  one  make  over  another.  We  have  no  particular 
preference;  there  are  many  machines  of  standard 
make  and  all  of  them  good.  Some  have  points  of 
advantage  that  appeal  to  one  class  of  operators  and 
others  have  points  that  appeal  with  equal  force  to 
another  class.  Fortunately  for  all  of  us,  tastes 
differ;  but  in  the  case  of  typewriter  selection  it  is 
not  only  a  question  of  taste,  but  of  fulfilling  certain 
requirements.  Some  operators  prefer  single-case 
keyboard  machines,  others  prefer  double  case;  some 
prefer  two,  or  double  shift  machines,  others  again 
prefer  a  keyboard  that  differs  from  the  so-called 
"universal."  And  so  it  is  all  a  matter  of  choice  and 

41 


42  RUTHERFORD  S     PRACTICAL    POINTERS. 

adaptability  to  purpose.     It  is  not  so  much  a  ques- 
tion of  machine  as  operator. 

Machines  nowadays  are  built  strongly  and  sub- 
stantially to  withstand  wear.  Experience  has  demon- 
strated to  the  typewriter  companies  that  wearing 
qualities  are  paramount,  so  all  have  striven  to  obtain 
strength  and  long  life  in  their  machines.  The  first- 
class  machines  have  similar  labor  and  time-saving 
devices.  An  operator  on  one  machine  can  soon  be- 
come equally  proficient  on  another.  Learn  to  oper- 
ate to  the  best  of  your  ability  whatever  machine  you 
use  at  school  or  during  your  study.  Find  out  all 
there  is  to  know  about  it.  Keep  it  clean  and  free 
from  dust  and  practice  on  it  every  moment  you  have 
to  spare,  and  make  every  moment  of  your  practice 
count.  Do  not  waste  time  in  writing  aimlessly 
and  superficially.  Be  in  earnest. 

THE  MACHINE  AND  THE  OPERATOR. 

The  vexed  question,  "Which  is  the  typewriter — 
the  machine  or  the  operator?"  seems  never  to  have 
been  satisfactorily  settled.  So  far  as  possible  we 
shall  use  the  word  "typist"  in  these  pointers  to  desig- 
nate the  operator  of  the  machine,  and  the  word 
"typewriter"  to  allude  to  the  machine  itself. 

TYPEWRITING. 

A  few  years  ago  little  attention  was  devoted  to 
the  teaching  of  typewriting  in  business  schools. 


RUTHERFORD'S    PRACTICAL   POINTERS.  43 

Certain  classes  of  machines  were  supplied  for  the 
use  of  students,  generally  old  models  in  more  or  less 
dilapidated  condition.  In  fact,  anything  in  the 
shape  of  a  typewriter  was  thought  to  be  good 
enough  for  students  to  practice  on.  In  those  days  a 
student  was  introduced  to  the  typewriter  somewhat 
in  this  fashion:  "Here  is  the  So-and-so  typewriter — 
the  machine  you  have  to  practice  on.  You  place 
your  paper  in  so,  move  on  to  the  next  line  thus, 
draw  your  carriage  back  in  this  way,  strike  the  space 
bar  like  that;  the  keys  with  the  letters  on  them  are 
there;  you  make  your  capitals  so;  now  use  one  or 
two  fingers  of  each  hand  in  writing;  here's  something 
to  copy;  now  practice,  and  do  your  best."  And  that 
was  all  the  instruction  the  pupil  received!  Was  it 
a  wonder  that  he  struck  the  keys  heavily  and  ex- 
perienced difficulty?  Is  it  to  be  marveled  at  that 
printers  went  so  far  as  to  print  imitations  of  type- 
writing, with  one  letter  above  the  line  of  writing  and 
the  next  one  below?  The  standard  of  instruction 
was  low  and  poor  work  and  poor  typewriting  was 
the  natural  result. 

The  business  man  demanded  something  better,  and 
in  due  course  he  obtained  it.  The  standard  of  type- 
writing was  raised.  More  attention  is  now  devoted 
to  the  teaching  of  typewriting  because  the  business 
man  is  naturally  a  better  judge  of  good  typewriting 
than  of  shorthand.  The  employer  can  only  judge 
of  the  qualities  of  his  stenographer,  or  typist,  by  the 


44  RUTHERFORD  S     PRACTICAL    POINTERS. 

finished  product.  Herein,  then,  lies  the  importance 
of  good  typewriting.  It  is  imperative  that  the 
stenographer  be  able  to  transcribe  rapidly  and  accur- 
ately on  the  machine.  Today  good  typewriting  is 
recognized  by  advanced  teachers  as  the  more  im- 
portant study  of  the  twin  arts  of  shorthand  and 
typewriting.  Don't  forget  this.  You  can  do  good 
work  on  the  machine  by  having  a  method  in  your 
learning  and  by  persistent  and  constant  practice. 
There  is  comparatively  little  difficulty  in  learning 
typewriting;  it  is  simply  a  matter  of  time,  patience 
and  the  right  kind  of  practice. 

SINGLE,  DOUBLE  CASE,  AND  DOUBLE  SHIFT  MACHINES. 

Typewriters  are  generally  made  with  what  is 
called  "single"  and  "double  case"  key  boards.  The 
single  case  machine  has  keys  with  all  the  letters  of 
the  alphabet  and  the  numbers  on  what  is  called  the 
"lower  case."  By  depressing  a  key  called  the  "shift 
key,"  the  capital  letters  as  well  as  the  various 
punctuation  marks,  are  brought  to  the  printing 
point.  This  is  called  the  "upper  case."  In  the 
double  case  typewriters  there  is  a  separate  key  for 
each  letter,  figure  and  punctuation  mark — conse- 
quently there  are  twice  as  many  keys  on  a  double 
case  machine  as  on  a  single  case.  The  double  shift 
machine  has  two  shift  keys — one  for  capital  letters 
and  another  for  figures  and  punctuation  marks.  It 
is  best  for  the  pupil  in  learning  typewriting  to  con- 


RUTHERFORD'S   PRACTICAL   POINTERS.  45 

fine  his  practice  to  one  or  the  other  of  these  key- 
boards exclusively  and  become  proficient  on  it.  He 
can  subsequently,  if  business  demands,  readily  adapt 
his  knowledge  to  another  keyboard.  It  will  entail 
only  a  few  hours'  practice. 

MEMORIZE  THE  KEYBOARD. 

It  is  necessary  that  the  location  of  each  key  upon 
the  machine  should  be  memorized.  On  the  same 
principle  that  to  write  shorthand  rapidly  one  must 
know  the  principles  so  well  that  the  writing  becomes 
automatic,  the  pupil  should  know  the  keyboard  so 
well  that  he  can  operate  the  typewriter  auto- 
matically. In  fact,  the  location  of  each  key  should 
be  photographed,  as  it  were,  upon  the  brain,  so  that 
when  a  letter  is  to  be  written,  the  mind  will  in- 
stinctively impel  the  finger  to  drop  upon  the  key 
required.  Experienced  operators  naturally  obtain 
this  facility  of  operation  in  a  degree  after  years  of 
practice.  They  become  expert  by  continuous  repe- 
tition of  words  and  sentences.  It  has  been  found 
that  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the  keyboard  is  in- 
dispensable to  correct  writing.  Those  who  have 
memorized  the  keyboard  in  this  way  and  practiced 
certain  fingering,  have  attained  a  degree  of  pro- 
ficiency in  operating  that  could  never  have  been 
equaled  by  those  who  used  the  old  method.  There 
are  various  methods  of  memorizing  the  keyboard — 
learning  one  row  at  a  time,  covering  up  certain  keys 


46  RUTHERFORD'S   PRACTICAL   POINTERS. 

with  celluloid  key  caps,  gummed  paper,  etc.  A  good 
plan  is  to  learn  the  location  of  the  keys  in  their 
relation  to  each  other  and  to  associate  certain  keys 
with  certain  fingers. 

There  are  so  many  good  text-books  and  treatises 
on  typewriting  now  published,  among  which  is  a  book 
called  "Rational  Typewriting,"  that  it  would  be 
needless  for  us  to  dwell  further  on  this  matter  of 
instruction.  One  thing  must  be  borne  in  mind — 
a  thorough  memorizing  of  the  keyboard  is  essential 
to  satisfactory  progress  and  ultimate  success. 

THE  TOUCH  OR  ALL-FINGER  METHOD  OF 
TYPEWRITING. 

The  "all-finger"  method  of  typewriting,  gener- 
ally called  the  "touch"  method,  has  been  demon- 
strated to  be  the  best  method.  By  this  plan  all  the 
fingers  of  each  hand  are  used  as  in  playing  the  piano; 
certain  rows  of  keys  being  allotted  to  each  finger, 
and  the  space  key  being  struck  with  the  thumb — 
generally  of  the  right  hand.  By  the  touch  method 
more  rapid  work  has  been  done  on  a  typewriter,  with 
a  degree  of  ease  to  the  operator  and  less  wear  and 
tear  to  the  machine,  than  is  possible  by  any  other 
plan. 

The  advantage  of  the  touch  method  lies  in  the 
fact  that  the  operator  or  typist,  having  the  key- 
board thoroughly  memorized,  is  enabled  to  read 
his  notes  and  transcribe  them  simultaneously.  In 


RUTHERFORD'S   PRACTICAL   POINTERS.  47 

this  way  the  carriage  of  the  machine  is  kept  moving 
unceasingly,  and  every  moment  is  utilized. 

The  average  stenographer  in  transcribing  his 
notes  takes  up  an  "eyeful,"  or  as  much  as  he  can  re- 
member, writes  those  words  on  the  machine,  watch- 
ing his  fingers  all  the  while,  because  he  has  not 
memorized  the  keyboard,  then  stops,  for  he  cannot 
read  his  notes  and  typewrite  at  the  same  time — 
takes  up  another  "eyeful" — once  more  starts  and 
repeats.  This  constant  stopping  of  the  machine 
while  referring  to  the  notes  wastes  much  time. 
Touch  operators  have  been  found  to  do  from  25  to 
50  per  cent  more  work  in  a  day  than  the  old-fash- 
ioned operators.  In  addition  to  this  the  touch 
operator  has  a  lighter  and  better  touch;  he  is  more 
accurate;  does  not  waste  energy,  and  consequently 
is  able  to  do  more  work  with  less  labor  and  less 
fatigue.  Again,  the  touch  method  saves  the 
machine.  The  touch  operator,  striking  the  keys 
lightly  and  evenly  and  with  precision,  does  not  sub- 
ject the  machine  to  the  rough  usage  of  a  sight 
operator.  The  touch  method  is  rapidly  pushing  the 
sight  operators  into  the  background;  therefore  the 
student  who  expects  to  reap  the  richest  reward  will 
learn  no  other  method. 

TOUCH  TYPEWRITING  REQUIRES  EARNEST  STUDY. 

The  pupil  must  not  become  imbued  with  the  idea 
that  he  can  learn  touch  typewriting  without  effort. 


48  RUTHERFORD'S    PRACTICAL   POINTERS. 

It  requires  a  good  deal  of  effort,  much  patience  and 
considerable  perseverance.  Many  have  tried  it,  and, 
while  admitting  its  superiority,  have  abandoned  it 
because  it  required  too  much  time.  Teachers  have 
abandoned  it  because  it  demanded  more  attention, 
more  time  and  more  machines  in  the  school.  It  has 
been  condemned  by  some  teachers  because,  not  be- 
ing touch  operators  themselves,  they  could  not  teach 
it;  it  was  a  case  of  "the  blind  leading  the  blind." 
There  is  no  gainsaying  the  fact,  however,  that  when 
properly  learned,  "touch"  typewriting  is  far  superior 
to  the  old  method  of  operating  the  machine.  It 
produces  better  work  with  less  effort  in  the  same 
length  of  time.  But  the  fact  remains,  it  entails  more 
work  for  the  student  and  more  attention  on  behalf 
of  the  teacher. 

Another  difficulty  which  meets  the  average  stu- 
dent of  touch  typewriting  is  the  training  of  the  third 
and  fourth  fingers.  The  touch  method  necessitates 
the  use  of  these  fingers,  and  herein  lies  a  struggle. 
Some  claim,  perhaps  with  reason,  that  they  cannot 
use  these  fingers  on  the  machine,  and  even  when  they 
do  they  produce  an  uneven  touch.  We  once  heard 
a  pupil  exclaim,  "Please,  sir,  I  can't  do  touch  type- 
writing." "Why  not?"  we  inquired.  "Because," 
came  the  reply,  "my  mother's  little  finger  is  weak 
and  so's  mine!"  Of  course  it  is  all  a  matter  of  spe- 
cial training,  the  same  as  learning  the  fingering  on 
the  piano  or  the  violin.  The  difficulty  is  to  make 


RUTHERFORD  S     PRACTICAL     POINTERS.  49 

the  pupil  see  the  advantage  of  devoting  time  to  prop- 
erly training  the  fingers.  The  best  is  none  too  good 
for  your  future  work.  You  can,  if  you  will,  learn 
touch  typewriting. 

BLANK  KEYS. 

In  a  large  number  of  schools,  where  a  conscien- 
tious effort  is  made  to  teach  touch  typewriting,  it 
has  been  the  practice  to  cover  the  keys  of  the  type- 
writer with  celluloid  keycaps  or  other  devices  for 
concealing  the  letters.  By  this  plan  it  becomes 
obligatory  upon  the  pupil  to  learn  the  keyboard  by 
studying  the  location  of  each  key.  Many  claim  this 
materially  assists  the  learner,  in  his  work,  and  we 
do  not  doubt  it.  But  neither  blank  keys  nor  other 
devices  will  make  a  touch  operator  of  you  unless 
the  desire  is  within  you.  Cover  the  keys  of  your 
typewriter,  and  practice  your  writing  without  watch- 
ing your  fingers  more  than  is  necessary.  You  will 
make  mistakes  at  first,  but  if  you  persevere  with 
your  practice  you  will  soon  find  that  it  is  easier  to 
write  without  watching  your  fingers  than  by  the 
other  method. 

CULTIVATE  A  LIGHT,  UNIFORM  TOUCH. 

Do  not  strike  the  keys  with  a  slow,  ponderous 
stroke.  Strike  each  one  a  sharp  staccato  blow  with 
the  end  of  the  finger,  withdrawing  the  finger  from 
the  key  instantly.  Adhere  closely  to  the  fingering 


5O  RUTHERFORD  S     PRACTICAL     POINTERS. 

outlined  in  your  manual,  because  invariability  of 
fingering  is  absolutely  essential  to  correct  work.  Al- 
ways strike  the  space  bar  quickly  with  the  side  of  the 
right  thumb.  Endeavor  to  cultivate  as  light  a  touch 
as  is  consistent  with  a  clear,  sharp  impression  of 
the  type.  Keep  your  elbows  fairly  close  to  your 
sides,  your  wrists  well  up  and  clear  of  the  machine. 
Let  the  hands  drop  easily  from  the  wrist,  and  train 
your  fingers  to  strike  the  keys  with  an  impetus  from 
the  hand.  Practice  is  the  only  thing  that  will  make 
you  perfect,  so  practice  all  you  can  on  the  machine. 
Get  a  uniform  touch;  look  at  your  work,  and  if  one 
character  is  light  and  another  heavy,  your  touch  is 
uneven,  and  must  be  corrected.  Strive  for  uniform- 
ity in  this  respect. 

ACCURACY  BEFORE  SPEED. 

Don't  hurry  in  your  typewriting  at  first.  Accur- 
acy is  the  great  desideratum  in  typewriting,  as  in 
shorthand:  It  sometimes  takes  longer  to  properly 
correct  a  trifling  error  in  a  typewritten  letter  than 
to  re-write  the  whole  letter.  Of  course  the  correc- 
tion of  a  mistake  by  an  erasure  saves  the  stationery, 
but  it  wastes  time.  Practice  all  the  time  for  accuracy 
so .  that  you  can  write  page  after  page  without  an 
error.  The  majority  of  teachers  at  schools  will  not 
accept  typewritten  matter  from  pupils  unless  it  is 
absolutely  free  from  errors  and  erasures.  This  is  a 
good  plan;  it  enforces  accuracy,  carefulness  and 


RUTHERFORD  S     PRACTICAL     POINTERS.  5! 

cleanliness  from  the  start.  Good  habits  once  culti- 
vated remain  long.  Acquire  the  habit  of  accuracy 
in  typewriting — don't  sacrifice  accuracy  for  speed — 
the  latter  will  come  in  due  course  after  practice. 

USELESS  DELAYS-LIFTING  THE  CARRIAGE  AND 
ERASURES. 

Two  sources  of  slowness  in  operating  the  type- 
writer are  lifting  of  the  carriage  and  erasing.  The 
lifting  of  the  carriage  is  very  much  a  matter  of  habit. 
It  consumes  valuable  time  and  can  usually  be 
dispensed  with.  Almost  the  same  amount  of  time 
is  lost  by  operators  of  the  "visible"  typewriters  who 
stop  frequently  to  see  if  the  machine  has  written 
correctly.  To  avoid  this  bad  habit  give  the  machine 
credit  for  doing  its  own  work;  try  to  realize  that  it 
will  not  make  a  mistake  if  you  do  not.  The  machine 
is  built  purposely  to  reproduce  in  printed  characters 
the  words  you  spell  out.  But  no  typewriter  has  yet 
been  invented  equal  to  the  feat  of  spelling.  It  will, 
however,  write  properly,  and  faithfully  -reproduce 
your  spelled  words.  If  you  feel  in  your  mind  that 
you  have  done  this,  and  this  knowledge  will  soon 
become  instinctive  and  certain,  don't  waste  time  by 
lifting  the  carriage  or  stopping  to  see  if  the  machine 
has  done  its  work.  It  is  sure  to  do  that.  Be  con- 
tent that  if  you  have  done  your  part  well  the  machine 
also  has  done  its  work  well.  Don't  raise  the  car- 
riage or  stop  your  writing  to  verify  this;  go  straight 


52  RUTHERFORD'S   PRACTICAL  POINTERS. 

on  with  your  work.  Write  line  after  line  without 
lifting  the  carriage  or  stopping  to  see  if  the  machine 
strikes  the  wrong  key.  If  you  are  a  touch  operator 
you  will  instantly  know  when  you  have  done  this. 
Then  raise  the  carriage  and  read  all  you  have 
written,  and  if  you  have  made  a  mistake  turn  the 
roller  back  and  correct  it.  It  is  as  easy  to  correct 
a  mistake  six  or  ten  lines  back  as  one  line  back,  so 
wait  for  the  first  known  mistake  to  correct  any 
others  that  may  be  noticed. 

In  learning  typewriting,  don't  trouble  to  erase 
your  errors.  Write  slowly  and  carefully.  If  you 
make  a  mistake,  destroy  the  copy  and  begin  again. 
Do  not  be  satisfied  with  typewriting  that  contains 
mistakes.  When  you  get  into  business  the  inculcated 
habits  of  writing  correctly  will  serve  you  in  good 
stead.  In  business  you  will  have  to  erase  occa- 
sionally to  avoid  destroying  stationery.  In  your 
school  work,  where  pressure  of  time  is  not  so  forcibly 
insisted  upon,  proceed  slowly  and  accurately  with 
your  typewriting.  Speed  will  come  to  you  later. 

TRANSCRIBING  THE  NOTES. 

We  will  assume  that  the  student  by  this  time  has 
so  far  progressed  with  his  typewriting  that  he  is 
able  to  copy  business  letters  and  other  documents 
on  the  machine  correctly  and  at  a  fairly  high  rate 
of  speed.  He  may  now  be  called  upon  to  transcribe 
his  shorthand  notes  upon  the  machine.  This  is  likely 


RUTHERFORD'S    PRACTICAL    POINTERS.  53 

to  trouble  him  a  little  at  first.  There  will  be  the 
reading  of  the  shorthand  notes  with  the  simulta- 
neous transcription  of  them  upon  the  machine.  To 
get  the  best  results,  it  will  be  necessary  for  you  to 
glance  through  a  sentence  before  beginning  to  put 
it  on  the  machine,  in  order  that  you  may  properly 
punctuate'  it.  If  you  do  not  use  the  touch  method, 
just  before  you  write  on  the  machine  the  last  three 
or  four  words  that  you  have  in  your  mind,  glance 
at  your  note-book,  still  keeping  the  machine  run- 
ning take  up  another  sentence  and  write  that.  By 
this  plan  you  will  save  time,  and  gradually  as  you 
train  yourself  you  will  find  that  you  can  remember 
more  and  more  and  will  be  able  to  write  longer 
stretches  without  glancing  at  the  keys,  until  at  length 
you  can  carry  three  or  four  lines  of  shorthand  matter 
in  your  mind,  and  keep  the  carriage  of  your  machine 
traveling  without  a  moment's  cessation.  Herein  lies 
the  real  /utility  of  the  touch  method — the  ability  to 
keep  the  machine  constantly  moving. 

CLEANING  THE  TYPEWRITER. 

Pupils  often  try  to  avoid  cleaning  their  machines. 
It  generally  soils  the  hands,  and  some  people  are  as 
much  afraid  of  a  little  oily  dirt  on  their  fingers  as 
they  are  of  soap  and  water,  and  vice  versa.  For  this 
reason  many  pupils  shirk  cleaning  their  machines 
and  look  upon  this  feature  of  their  work  "as  not  only 
dirty  and  disagreeable,  but  entirely  unnecessary. 


54  RUTHERFORD'S   PRACTICAL   POINTERS. 

They  overlook  the  fact  that  the  typewriter  is  a  ma- 
chine and  that  its  chief  enemies  are  dirt  and  dust. 
They  altogether  ignore  the  fact  that  when  they  get 
into  business  as  stenographers  a  machine  will  be 
placed  in  their  charge,  an  expensive  machine,  too, 
and  that  upon  their  satisfactory  operation  of  that 
instrument  will  depend  their  bread  and  butter.  If  jt 
runs  well  it  will  do  good,  rapid  work  and  give  satis- 
faction. If  it  is  dirty,  covered  with  dust  and  oily 
waste,  it  will  run  less  easily,  entail  more  work  on 
the  operator,  write  unsatisfactorily,  and  eventually 
break  down  from  the  simple  lack  of  attention  and 
care.  All  machinery  must  be  cleaned  to  work 
smoothly  and  produce  the  best  results.  Clean  your 
machine  daily  before  you  begin  to  write  on  it.  Rub 
off  all  the  dust  from  the  rods  and  wearing  parts. 
See  that  the  dust  does  not  accumulate  on  the 
enameled  parts  of  the  machine.  Keep  the  nickeled 
parts  bright.  Clean  the  type — picking  out  the  full 
letters  with  a  pin,  or  brushing  the  faces  of  the  type 
with  the  small  brush  supplied  for  that  purpose. 

Habits  of  cleanliness  should  be  inculcated  and  en- 
couraged in  the  school  or  class-room,  and  learning 
how  to  care  for  and  clean  your  typewriter  is  almost 
as  necessary  as  learning  to  operate  it. 

SPELLING. 

If  a  typewriting  machine  could  spell,  it  would  be 
worth  its  weight  in  gold!  But  it  not  only  will  not 


RUTHERFORD'S   PRACTICAL   POINTERS.  55 

spell,  but  it  insists  upon  showing  up,  in  the  most 
glaring  manner,  every  orthographical  error  that  is 
perpetrated  by  its  operator.  "Why  do  you  make  so 
many  mistakes  in  your  exercises?"  asked  a  teacher, 
and  the  innocent  pupil  replied,  "I  don't  know  how 
it  is,  sir,  but  that  machine  of  mine  doesn't  spell  a 
bit  correctly."  "My  boy,"  said  another  teacher,  "do 
you  know  that  your  spelling  is  bad — atrociously  bad ! 
It  is  useless  for  me  to  attempt  to  teach  you  short- 
hand and  typewriting  until  you  can  spell  well."  "I'm 
sorry  to  know  that,  sir,  but  I  can't  help  it."  "You 
can't  help  it,  eh?  Why  not?"  "Because,  sir,  bad 
spelling  runs  in  our  family,  sir — my  grandfather 
couldn't  spell!" 

This  kind  of  excuse  will  never  be  accepted  any- 
where. It  is  absolutely  necessary  that  the  stenog- 
rapher should  be  a  good  speller.  He  must  learn  to 
spell  or  abandon  all  hope  of  becoming  a  stenog- 
rapher. Too  many  young  people  take  up  the  study 
of  shorthand  and  typewriting  without  the  primary 
qualification  of  a  fairly  good  knowledge  of  the 
English  language.  Is  their  failure  to  be  wondered 
at?  The  average  business  man  may  not  know  short- 
hand and  typewriting,  but  he  knows  when  his  corre- 
spondence is  correctly  spelled,  and  will  seldom  put 
up  with  bad  spelling  for  long.  We  heard  of  an 
instance  where  a  young  woman  by  her  prepossess- 
ing appearance  and  the  kind  interest  of  friends  ob- 
tained a  position.  Her  employers  soon  discovered 


56  RUTHERFORD'S    PRACTICAL   POINTERS. 

her  weakness  in  spelling,  but  she  was  such  a  pleasant 
young  woman  that  they  put  up  with  it  as  long  as 
they  possibly  could.  At  length  she  went  too  far, 
and  the  manager  arose  in  his  wrath.  "I  say,  Miss 
Jenkins,"  he  exclaimed,  "we  really,  you  know,  can't 
put  up  with  this  any  longer;  your  spelling  is  some- 
thing awful;  it  is  simply  appalling."  "Good  gracious, 
sir,"  she  answered,  "why — why — what  is  wrong?" 
"The  word  'sugar/ "  he  replied,  "here  you  have 
spelled  it  'suger.'  '  "Dear  me!"  was  the  innocent 
reply,  with  her  brightest  smile,  "how  foolish  of  me; 
I  left  out  the  V  didn't  I?" 

If  your  spelling  is  weak  or  defective,  do  your  best 
to  improve  it.  The  average  business  man  will  not 
have  the  courage,  or,  possibly,  may  not  care  to  tell 
you  that  you  are  a  poor  speller,  and  that  is  his  reason 
for  discharging  you.  He  is  more  likely  to  make 
some  other  excuse.  In  fact,  we  have  known  in- 
stances where  an  employer,  rather  than  tell  a  sten- 
ographer of  her  poor  spelling,  has  given  her  a  nice 
letter  of  recommendation  on  the  eve  of  her  dis- 
charge in  which  he  stated  that  she  was  a  competent 
and  painstaking  stenographer.  He  did  not  mind 
so  long  as  she  was  off  his  hands!  It  was  unfair  of 
him,  no  doubt,  but  don't  let  the  necessity  for  such 
a  subterfuge  arise  in  your  case. 

Make  an  effort  to  have  a  complete  command  of 
the  English  language.  Whenever  you  meet  with  a 
strange  word,  make  a  note  of  it,  look  it  up  in  the 


RUTHERFORD'S   PRACTICAL   POINTERS.  57 

dictionary,  and  learn  exactly  how  it  is  spelled  and 
used.  We  have  found  that  the  best  way  to  learn 
spelling  is  to  write  the  word  several  times  in  long- 
hand, or  on  the  machine,  if  you  have  one.  Write 
it  ten  or  a  dozen  times  in  longhand  until  its  exact 
spelling  is  photographed  upon  the  brain.  Once  it 
is  fixed  there,  you  will  never  have  any  further  trouble 
with  it.  The  attempt  to  learn  spelling  by  mere  rote 
is  absolutely  useless.  Write  out  the  word  many 
times,  apply  it  in  sentences,  and  before  long  your 
vocabulary  will  be  increased  and  your  spelling  will 
be  improved.  Keep  a  dictionary  by  your  side  and 
refer  to  it  whenever  necessary. 

PUNCTUATION. 

In  addition  to  accuracy  in  spelling,  the  stenog- 
rapher should  have  an  accurate  knowledge  of  punc- 
tuation. One  is  quite  as  essential  as  the  other.  While 
the  language  is  dictated,  the  correct  spelling  and 
punctuation  must  necessarily  be  the  sole  work  of 
the  stenographer.  It  behooves  the  student,  then,  to 
study  punctuation  carefully.  A  misplaced  comma 
has  sometimes  been  the  cause  of  endless  trouble. 
Only  very  recently  it  was  necessary  to  recall  the 
legislature  of  New  Jersey  for  an  extra  session 
through  the  omission  of  a  comma  in  a  certain  clause 
of  an  important  bill.  In  business,  sentences  shouH 
be  short  and  concise.  Commas  should  be  used  only 
where  the  sense  demands  them.  The  ,>c-micolon  is 


58  RUTHERFORD'S  PRACTICAL  POINTERS. 

not  used  to  so  great  an  extent  as  it  was  formerly, 
land  parentheses  should  be  avoided  when  possible. 
•'Learn  the  use  of  the  various  punctuation  marks;  read 
'good  literature,  leading  articles  in  papers  and 
r.mguzines,  and  carefully  note  the  punctuation.  This 
will  assist  you  materially  in  your  studies.  Use  your 
common  sense  whenever  you  are  transcribing  and 
devote  your  best  efforts  to  make  sense  of  what  you 
are  writing.  Make  each  sentence  clear,  understand 
it  yoiirself,  and  then  punctuate  it  so  that  there  can 
be  no  doubt  of  its  meaning  to  the  reader. 

NEATNESS  IN  TYPEWRITING. 

Good  typewriting  can  always  be  distinguished  by 
the  way  it  is  "set  up,"  and  by  the  neatness  of  the 
work.  Considerable  taste  and  judgment  can  be  exer- 
cised in  this  respect.  In  business  letters  see  that  the 
date  is  placed  well  to  the  right.  If  there  is  a  date 
line,  arrange  the  paper,  or  set  the  "variable  spacer" 
of  your  machine,  so  that  it  will  write  exactly  on  the 
line.  Do  not  be  satirised  with  writing  it  just  a  little 
above  or  a  trifle  below  the  line;  it  must  be  exactly 
on  the  line.  Set  the  address  out  nicely.  Some  em- 
ployers prefer  the  address  to  be  spread  out,  others 
like  it  arranged  in  successive  steps.  Find  out  from 
your  teacher  or  from  your  typewriting  manual  the 
different  plans,  and  practice  them.  See  that  your 
paragraphs  all  start  at  the  same  distance  from  the 
left  hand  side  of  the  paper.  If  the  letter  is  short, 


RUTHERFORD  S     PRACTICAL     POINTERS.  59 

use  the  double  space  and  get  the  body  of  the  letter 
in  the  middle  of  the  page.  If  it  is  a  long  letter,  don't 
carry  the  matter  so  far  down  the  page  that  you  leave 
no  room  for  the  pen  signature.  Try  to  keep  your 
right  hand  margin  as  regular  as  possible.  Don't 
have  an  inch  to  spare  on  one  line  and  three  charac- 
ters crowded  in  beyond  the  margin  on  the  other. 
You  will  seldom  succeed  in  getting  the  margin  on 
the  right  hand  side  to  look  as  regular  as  that  on  the 
left,  but  give  careful  attention  to  it  and  you  will 
do  good  work  in  time.  If  you  properly  set  your 
marginal  stop  you  should  have  no  difficulty  in  this 
respect. 

Place  "Yours  truly"  fairly  in  the  middle  of  the 
page,  at  about  35  or  40,  according  to  the  suggestions 
of  your  teacher.  Never  arrange  a  letter  so  that  you 
are  under  the  necessity  of  carrying  only  a  few  words 
on  to  the  second '  page.  If  that  happens  re-write 
the  letter,  so  as  either  to  finish  the  whole  letter  on 
one  page,  or  carry  over  a  sentence  or  two  on  to  the 
following  page. 

In  envelope  addressing,  write  the  name  just  below 
the  middle  of  the  envelope  and  the  city  and  state 
well  toward  the  bottom.  If  you  are  using  a  single 
case  machine  be  sure  not  to  get  a  double  impression 
from  the  upper  case  characters.  Open  the  flap  of  the 
envelope,  if  necessary,  and  arrange  your  paper  guides 
so  as  to  keep  the  envelope  flat  against  the  platan  or 
roller, 


60  RUTHERFORD'S   PRACTICAL   POINTERS. 

If  you  are  copying  a  document  set  it  out  as  nicely 
as  you  can,  putting  in  capitals  those  letters  which 
you  think  should  be  prominent.  If  it  is  necessary 
to  erase,  do  it  neatly,  so  that  it  will  not  show.  Rub 
long  enough  to  get  the  paper  clean  of  ink  stains, 
but  don't  rub  a  hole  in  it.  Neat  erasures  require 
practice.  Be  satisfied  with  nothing  but  good  work 
and  neat  work.  Keep  the  type  of  your  machine 
clean;  to  write  with  type  that  is  clogged,  or 
dirty,  should  not  be  tolerated.  Don't  write  on 
your  machine  so  that  the  letters  print  or  pile  up 
one  on  the  other.  If  the  machine  writes  in  that 
way  it  may  be  that  it  needs  cleaning  or  your  touch 
is  very  uneven.  Clean  your  machine  and  try  again. 
If  the  type  still  print  on  each  other,  it  is  probably 
the  fault  of  your  irregular  touch.  Try  to  correct 
it  so  as  to  make  your  work  neat  and  regular. 

In  hot  weather  keep  your  warm  hands  away  from 
the  ribbon  and  the  printed  letters.  If  you  do  not, 
your  letters  are  likely  to  look  soiled.  Don't  strike 
the  period  and  other  punctuation  marks  so  they 
show  through  the  back  of  the  paper.  This  is  a  com- 
mon fault  of  the  majority  of  typists.  If  you  have 
accidentally  struck  your  punctuation  marks  too 
hard,  turn  the  sheet  over,  lay  it  face  downwards  on 
a  flat  surface,  and  pass  the  nail  of  your  thumb  or 
finger  over  the  punctures  in  the  paper,  and  in  future 
strike  the  punctuation  marks  more  lightly. 


RUTHERFORD'S   PRACTICAL   POINTERS.  61 

COPYHOLDERS. 

Where  to  place  the  shorthand  note-book  when 
transcribing  has  been  the  subject  of  much  discus- 
sion. Hundreds  of  different  ideas  of  copyholders 
have  been  invented  and  put  on  the  market,  but  the 
majority  of  them  have  met  with  no  success.  Some 
models  stand  on  the  table  or  desk,  others  are  at- 
tached to  the  machine,  but  all  of  them  vibrate  to  a 
certain  extent  when  the  machine  is  operated  rapidly. 
It  is  an  open  question  whether  or  not  the  copy- 
holder is  an  advantage.  If  you  have  an  opportunity 
in  school  to  practice  with  a  copyholder,  by  all  means 
do  so.  It  is  mainly  a  question  of  becoming  accus- 
tomed to  a  certain  thing.  If  you  use  the  touch 
method  of  operating  a  typewriter  a  copyholder  will 
be  found  useful.  Sometimes  in  business  it  will  be 
found  that  there  is  not  sufficient  room  on  the  desk 
for  a  copyholder.  It  will  be  advisable,  therefore,  for 
the  student  to  become  accustomed  to  reading  his 
shorthand  notes  or  copy  from  the  level  of  his  desk 
or  table.  The  great  point  with  a  stenographer  is  to 
be  always  ready  for  emergencies,  and  to  adapt 
himself  readily  to  surroundings.  Practice  read- 
ing and  transcribing  your  notes  with  and  without  a 
copyholder,  and  then  you  will  be  able  to  meet  all 
contingencies. 

THE  TABULATOR. 

The  growing  importance  of  the   typewriter  has 
called  for  new  uses  for  it  and  opened  a  wider  fiel4 


62  RUTHERFORD'S   PRACTICAL   POINTERS. 

than  ever  for  the  employment  of  good  typewriter 
operators.  A  few  years  ago  the  machine  was  used 
only  for  correspondence,  but  the  economy  effected 
in  this  branch  of  mercantile  life  pointed  out  other 
ways  of  economizing  time.  Hence  a  demand  for 
typewriters;  or  an  attachment  to  the  typewriter, 
which  could  be  used  for  making  out  invoices,  state- 
ments and  all  kinds  of  tabulated  work.  Tabulation 
was.  previous  to  the  advent  of  the  tabulator,  always 
regarded  as  the  most  difficult  line  of  typewriting. 
The  introduction  of  this  attachment  to  the  type- 
writer has  reduced  tabulated  work  to  the  simplicity 
of  ordinary  correspondence  and  at  the  same  time 
has  opened  up  a  still  wider  field  for  the  machine  and 
the  operator.  By  an  ingenious  arrangement  the 
machine  can  be  made  to  stop  at  any  point  desired 
upon  the  scale,  and  columns  of  figures  can  be  written 
\vith  an  ease  and  speed  unknown  a  few  years  ago. 

The  tabulator  can  be  attached  to  any  of  the  stand- 
ard makes  of  machines,  and  the  learning  of  its  use 
should  become  a  part  of  the  school  duties  of  the 
pupil.  The  operator  of  today  will  not  find  himself 
fully  equipped  unless  he  is  perfectly  familiar  with  the 
tabulator.  He  is  likely  to  meet  with  it  in  any  busi- 
ness house  in  which  he  may  be  employed. 

There  are  several  modifications  of  the  tabulator 
on  the  different  makes  of  machines,  and  all  do  good 
work  under  proper  manipulation,  and  the  pupil  who 
lias  learned  how  to  operate  one  kind  can  readily 


RUTHERFORD'S   PRACTICAL  POINTERS.  63 

grasp  the  details  of  the  other.  The  tabulator  is  also 
useful  in  addressing  envelopes  and  arranging  names 
and  addresses  in  business  correspondence,  etc. 
Some  of  the  largest  firms  in  New  York  City  are  mak- 
ing it  obligatory  for  each  clerk  in  their  employ  to  take 
a  comprehensive  course  of  typewriting  and  the  use 
of  the  tabulator.  Don't  be  behind  the  times.  Book- 
keeping ere  long  will  be  done  on  the  typewriter  by 
the  aid  of  the  tabulator.  Learn  all  you  can  about 
this  time  and  labor-saving  device. 

BOOK  TYPEWRITING. 

The  clearness  and  conciseness  of  typewriting,  and 
the  ability  of  the  typewriter  to  make  manifold  copies, 
has  called  forth  other  uses  for  the  machine,  hence 
the  introduction  of  the  book  typewriter,  a  machine 
designed  to  write  in  a  bound  book.  Before  the  in- 
vention of  this  machine,  if  it  \vas  desired  to  keep 
a  permanent  record  of  typewriting,  the  matter  was 
first  written  on  loose  sheets  and  then  bound  up  in 
the  ordinary  way  into  a  book.  With  the  book  type- 
writer the  leaves  of  the  open  book  are  held  in  posi- 
tion by  a  series  of  clamps  and  the  typewriter  travels 
across  the  page,  the  machine  being  operated  in  the 
usual  way,  except  that  the  operator  has  to  work  on 
a  moving  keyboard.  Hundreds  of  these  machines 
are  used  throughout  the  world,  writing  the  records 
in  bound  books,  and  they  do  their  work  well.  If 
the  student  has  an  opportunity  he  should  not  neglect 


64  RUTHERFORD'S   PRACTICAL  POINTERS. 

learning  all  about  these  wonderful  machines.  They 
have  the  universal  keyboard,  so  he  should  experi- 
ence very  little  difficulty  in  operating  them  if  he 
can  use  the  ordinary  machine.  They  are  also  used 
to  a  large  extent  in  railroad  and  steamship  work  for 
the  writing  of  large  sheets  and  "manifests,"  where 
thousands  of  figures  are  used  and  several  copies  are 
required.  Learn  all  you  can  about  the  book  type- 
writer, for  its  sphere  of  utility  is  increasing  daily, 
many  of  them  being  used  by  large  dry-goods  stores 
and  others  for  invoice  and  statement  work. 

The  competition  of  the  book  typewriters  has  caused 
the  manufacturers  of  the  ordinary  typewriter  to 
bring  out  books  with  loose  leaves.  These  are  written 
on  by  the  use  of  the  typewriter  in  the  ordinary  way, 
and  by  a  series  of  catches  are  securely  fastened  in 
book-form  between  covers.  Protection  against 
abstraction  of  the  sheets  is  obtained  by  having  each 
page  numbered.  By  the  use  of  the  loose  leaf  books 
and  an  ordinary  typewriter  any  kind  of  work  can  be 
successfully  accomplished  and  bound  securely  in 
book-form. 

THE  CARD  SYSTEM. 

The  writing  of  postal  cards  and  envelopes  upon 
the  typewriter  has  until  recently  been  attended  with 
some  difficulty.  It  was  difficult  to  make  the  stiff 
card  or  thick  envelope  present  an  even,  regular  sur- 
face on  the  circular  platen.  The  introduction  of  the 


RUTHERFORD'S   PRACTICAL   POINTERS.  65 

card  system  of  filing,  by  which  thousands  of  different 
colored  cards  are  used  for  reference  and  even  ledger- 
keeping  purposes,  has  created  a  demand  for  a  type- 
writer, or  an  addition  to  the  typewriter  for  the  pur- 
pose of  card  writing.  So  great  has  been  the  in- 
crease of  the  number  of  business  firms  using  these 
reference  cards  that  nearly  a  dozen  large  firms  are 
now  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  reference  cards 
and  filing  cabinets.  Typewritten  cards  are  so  much 
easier  read  than  hand  written  ones  that  a  demand 
sprang  up  for  machines  and  operators  for  this  pur- 
pose only.  The  book  typewriters  are  undoubtedly 
the  best  for  card  writing,  as  they  permit  of  the  cards 
being  written  while  lying  perfectly  flat,  and  the 
machines  are  so  arranged  as  to  take  cards  of  any 
degree  of  thickness.  The  ordinary  typewriters,  how- 
ever, by  means  of  attachments,  are  now  almost 
equally  adapted  for  the  purpose  of  card  writing. 
Card  cylinders  and  card  holders  can  be  bought  and 
attached  to  any  make  of  machine,  and  they  will  be 
found  to  take  any  of  the  ordinary  "stock"  cards  with 
the  greatest  ease,  and  produce  satisfactory  work.  It 
will  be  well  for  the  student  to  learn  all  about  the 
"Card  System,"  and  practice  energetically  the  writ- 
ing of  cards  until  proficient.  This  method  of  filing 
is  coming  more  largely  into  use  daily  and  the  typist 
is  sure  to  meet  with  the  card  system,  in  some  form, 
into  whatsoever  office  he  goes. 


66  RUTHERFORD'S   PRACTICAL   POINTERS. 

THE  ANNULAR  SCALE  AND  ITS  USES. 

The  use  of  the  typewriter  for  bill  and  charge  work 
has  called  forth  the  invention  of  the  Annular  Scale, 
an  attachment  to  the  billing  machine  of  the  type- 
writer. By  means  of  this  scale  invoices  can  be  writ- 
ten in  the  usual  way,  and  at  the  same  time,  by  the 
addition  of  carbon  paper,  a  copy  of  each  invoice  (one 
immediately  underneath  the  other  on  a  separate 
sheet  of  paper)  may  be  made.  As  each  invoice  is 
written  it  is  withdrawn  from  the  machine,  but  the 
carbon  and  paper  at  the  back  remain  in  the  machine. 
By  the  use  of  the  Annular  Scale,  which  is  attached 
to  the  left-hand  side  of  the  roller  or  platen,  the 
carbon  and  paper  are  moved  up  the  requisite  dis- 
tance to  permit  of  the  next  invoice  being  written 
immediately  below  the  preceding  one,  as  one  would 
write  entries  in  a  day-book  by  hand,  another  invoice 
form  inserted  and  written  on  as  before.  When  the 
sheet  is  filled  with  the  copies  of  the  invoices  it  is  filed 
away  in  a  loose-leaf  binder,  becomes  a  part  of  the 
"journal"  or  "day-book."  and  is  used  for  posting  the 
entries  of  sales  directly  into  the  ledger.  The  Annular 
Scale  attachment  saves  much  time  and  labor,  and  is 
used  largely  by  dry-goods  houses  and  others.  The 
pupil  should  learn  its  uses. 

WIDE  CARRIAGE  TYPEWRITERS. 

Railroad  and  steamship  offices,  as  well  as  account- 
ants, dry-goods  stores  and  many  mercantile  firms, 


fcUTHERFORD's     PRACTICAL    POINTERS.  67 

require  occasionally  machines  that  will  do  what  is 
called  "wide  work."  The  ordinary  typewriter  will 
usually  write  from  72  to  75  characters  to  the  line. 
This  is  not  wide  enough  for  some  classes  of  work, 
and  as  a  consequence  the  typewriter  companies  have 
put  upon  the  market  machines  that  will  write  as 
many  as  300  characters  to  the  line,  and  take  paper 
almost  three  feet  wide.  The  book  typewriters  will 
write  on  paper  of  almost  any  width,  in  fact  as  wide 
as  any  writing  paper  made,  and  do  tabulating  work 
at  the  same  time.  In  the  majority  of  cases  the  car- 
riages are  large  and  cumbersome,  and  not  very  suit- 
able for  rapid  work.  Some  machines  have  inter- 
changeable carriages,  so  that  it  is  possible  to  slide 
the  ordinary  75-point  carriage  off  the  typewriter  case 
in  a  few  seconds  and  substitute  a  wider  one  upon 
the  same  base.  The  advantage  of  this  style  of  ma- 
chine is  obvious — it  can  be  used  for  ordinary  work 
if  desired  and  arranged  for  wide  work  in  a  few 
moments. 

The  very  wide  machines  used  for  steamship  and 
railroad  work  have  no  small  letters.  They  write 
capital  letters,  figures  and  special  marks  required  in 
shipping  circles.  The  student  should  see  and  learn 
about  the  wide  or  long  carriage  machines.  If  there 
are  none  at  the  school  he  attends  he  should  visit 
the  agencies  of  the  various  typewriter  companies 
and  make  an  inspection  and  investigation  of  the  long 
carriage  machines.  They  have  come  to  stay. 


68  RUTHERFORD'S  PRACTICAL  POINTERS. 

MANIFOLDING. 

Apart  from  the  fact  that  the  typewriter  confers  a 
benefit  on  the  business  community  by  placing  all  its 
correspondence  in  a  printed  and  consequently  a  read- 
able form,  there  is  the  added  advantage  that  if  de- 
sired one  or  more  copies  of  any  document  can  be 
made  at  the  one  time  of  writing.  This  economy  of 
time  and  space  is  effected  by  the  use  of  carbon  paper. 
By  placing  a  sheet  of  carbon  paper  at  the  back  of  the 
sheet  on  which  the  typewriting  is  to  appear,  and 
above  another  sheet  of  paper,  the  sharp  blow  of  the 
key  of  the  typewriter  on  the  paper  will  cause  an 
exact  copy  to  be  imprinted  from  the  carbon  sheet  to 
the  sheet  below.  Thus  one  or  more  copies  can  be 
made  at  one  time,  the  number  of  copies  being  lim- 
ited only  by  the  number  and  thinness  of  the  sheets 
of  paper  and  carbon,  and  the  force  of  the  "touch"  of 
the  operator  on  the  machine.  The  mode  of  arrang- 
ing the  sheets  of  carbon  in  the  machine  requires  a 
little  practice,  but  your  teacher,  or  any  typewriter 
demonstrator,  will  readily  show  you,  so  it  is  needless 
to  enter  into  details  here.  The  colors  of  the  carbon 
paper  may  be  varied — they  can  be  obtained  in  a  num- 
ber of  colors,  and  very  pretty  ornamental  work  can 
be  arranged  with  the  exercise  of  a  little  patience  and 
ingenuity. 


RUTHERFORD'S   PRACTICAL  POINTERS.  69 

THE  MIMEOGRAPH. 

Among  the  many  inventions  of  Mr.  Edison  one 
of  the  most  useful  is  the  mimeograph.  By  means 
of  it  exact  reproductions  of  typewriting  may  be 
made  in  a  few  moments  and  hundreds  of  fac-simile 
circulars  produced  in  a  short  time.  The  process  is  a 
very  simple  one,  and  the  sheets  upon  which  the  writ- 
ing is  done  may  be  quickly  prepared  on  any  of  the 
standard  typewriters.  These  sheets  are  called  "sten- 
cils." If  the  machine  has  a  ribbon  it  must  be  un- 
pinned or  the  ribbon  mechanism  arranged  so  the 
ribbon  will  not  move,  so  that  the  type  may  strike 
directly  against  the  stencil.  A  specially  prepared 
waxen  sheet  is  placed  over  a  piece  of  fine  silk  and 
above  that  a  sheet  of  tissue  paper.  These  three 
sheets,  with  an  oiled  backing  sheet,  are  placed  in 
the  typewriter  as  one  would  put  in  carbon  sheets, 
the  tissue  sheet  being  uppermost.  The  typewriter 
is  operated  in  the  usual  way.  The  bare  type  striking 
the  tissue  paper  forces  the  impressions  from  the 
waxen  sheet  on  to^  the  piece  of  silk.  The  wax  ad- 
heres to  the  silk  and  when  the  circular  is  completed 
the  waxen  sheet  is  found  to  be  perforated  wherever 
the  type  has  struck  it.  The  waxen  sheet  is  taken 
from  the  machine,  separated  from  the  others,  and 
fixed  in  a  special  frame  with  a  porous  sheet  over  it. 
By  means  of  a  roller,  printer's  ink  is  forced  through 
the  porous  sheet  and  perforated  waxen  sheet  on  to 
a  sheet  of  ordinary  paper.  This  produces  an  exact 


7o  RUTHERFORD'S  PRACTICAL  POINTERS. 

fac-simile  of  the  letter  or  circular,  and  at  each  pas- 
sage of  the  ink  roller  over  the  porous  and  waxen 
sheets  another  circular  is  printed. 

The  new  rotary  mimeograph  will  print  a  circular 
at  every  turn  of  a  handle,  and  we  have  seen  some 
marvelous  work  done  with  it  in  an  astonishingly 
short  time.  At  an  exhibition  some  time  since  of  the 
capabilities  of  producing  circulars  by  the  combined 
use  of  the  typewriter  and  the  mimeograph,  100 
words  were  written  on  a  typewriter  and  the  first 
mimeograph  copy  produced  in  two  minutes  and  fif- 
teen seconds.  One  hundred  copies  of  the  circular 
were  then  run  off  in  two  and  one-half  minutes  more, 
making  four  minutes  and  forty-five  seconds  from  the 
time  the  circular  was  started  on  the  typewriter  to 
the  time  when  100  copies  were  printed  ready  for  fold- 
ing and  placing  in  envelopes.  This  shows  the 
rapidity  with  which  circulars  may  be  reproduced. 
Pupils  at  school  should  learn  how  to  make  stencils 
for  the  mimeograph  and  how  to  use  the  machine. 
Nearly  every  business  firm  has  use  for  this  invaluable 
aid  to  circularizing. 

THE  HEKTOGRAPH. 

The  hektograph  and  similar  inventions  are  made 
of  a  composition  placed  in  shallow  tins.  The  com- 
position, which  has  somewhat  the  appearance  of 
glue,  is  first  wiped  with  a  damp  cloth  and  the  type- 
written letter,  written  with  a  specially  prepared  hek- 


RUTHERFORD'S   PRACTICAL   POINTERS.  71 

tograph  ribbon,  is  laid  face  downwards  upon  it.  It 
is  allowed  to  remain  there  for  a  few  minutes,  and 
on  being  removed  an  imprint  is  left  on  the  compo- 
sition. On  laying  another  sheet  of  paper  on  this, 
and  passing  the  hand,  or  a  roller,  over  the  back  of 
the  sheet,  a  perfect  fac-simile  of  the  typewritten 
matter  is  transferred  to  the  sheet.  As  many  as  100 
copies  can  be  taken  from  one  writing  in  this  way. 
The  first  few  copies  are  of  course  the  best,  as  the 
ink  gradually  is  absorbed,  becoming  fainter  and 
fainter  as  each  copy  is  taken  off.  For  a  few  circu- 
lars the  hektograph  is  very  useful  and  expeditious. 
It  is  used  largely  in  steamship  and  other  offices,  and 
a  knowledge  of  how  to  work  it  should  be  obtained 
by  the  pupil  if  possible. 

COPYING  TYPEWRITTEN  LETTERS. 

It  is  usual  in  business  houses  to  keep  copies  of 
all  letters.  Copies  are  sometimes  made  by  using  a 
copying  ribbon  on  the  typewriter,  and  copying  the 
letter  by  means  of  a  press  in  a  book  made  of  tissue 
paper  leaves.  The  typewritten  letter  is  laid  face 
downward  on  a  sheet  of  tissue  paper  beneath  which 
is  placed  a  damp  linen  cloth.  The  moisture  from  the 
cloth  passes  through  the  tissue  and  transfers  some 
of  the  aniline  ink  of  the  typewritten  letter  to  the 
tissue  paper,  thus  making  a  fac-simile.  To  facilitate 
the  transfer  the  book  of  tissue  paper  is  subjected  to 
pressure  in  a  letter  press.  It  requires  some  practice 


72  RUTHERFORDS     PRACTICAL     POINTERS. 

to  get  good,  clear  copies.  The  best  results  are  ob- 
tained when  the  cloths  are  moderately  damp.  Al- 
though in  most  offices  the  office  boy  is  required  to 
copy  letters,  it  will  be  well  for  the  student  to  learn 
how  it  is  done  in  case  he  is  called  upon  to  do  this. 

An  invention  called  "the  rapid  roller  copier" 
greatly  facilitates  the  ordinary  mode  of  copying  type- 
written letters,  and  the  student  would  do  well  to 
become  familiar  with  this  also. 

In  some  offices,  instead  of  copying  the  letters  in 
a  bound  book  with  a  copying  press,  a  carbon  copy 
is  made  of  each  letter,  and  attached  to  the  original 
letter,  all  being  filed  together.  This  dispenses  with 
the  copying  press  and  the  letter  book.  The  pupil 
of  shorthand  should  learn  all  these  methods  of  copy- 
ing and  filing  letters,  and  in  fact  make  himself  thor- 
oughly familiar  with  office  routine. 

ADDRESSING. 

Addressing  an  envelope  on  a  typewriter  is  not 
usually  accomplished  so  easily  as  writing  a  letter.  It 
requires  care  in  feeding  into  the  machine  and 
considerable  attention  in  spacing  and  judgment 
in  arrangement.  When  the  envelope  is  made  of 
thick  paper,  it  is  advisable  to  open  the  flap.  On 
single  case  machines,  unless  some  care  is  exercised 
in  adjusting  the  -paper  guides  or  fingers,  a  slight 
imprint  from  the  capital  letters  is  likely  to  appear 
above  the  other  letters  thus  giving  the  envelope  an 


RUTHERFORDS     PRACTICAL     POINTERS.  73 

untidy  appearance.  The  pupil  at  school  should  have 
plenty  of  practice  in  addressing,  for  unless  he  has 
this  practice  on  his  entrance  into  the  business  world, 
he  will  have  difficulty  in  addressing  envelopes.  Long 
"fool's-cap"  envelopes  will  occasionally  require  care- 
ful feeding  into  the  machine.  It  is  advisable  to  use 
the  knobs  or  handles  on  the  ends  of  the  platen  when 
feeding  envelopes  into  the  machine  and  not  to  use 
the  spacing  handle. 

GENERAL  ADVICE  TO  THE  STUDENT. 

By  this  time  we  presume  that  you  are  fairly  pre- 
pared for  your  entrance  into  the  business  world. 
You  have  studied  shorthand  properly  and  faithfully 
until  you  can  write  at  a  fairly  good  speed,  and  you 
can  now,  doubtless,  transcribe  your  notes  on  the 
machine  rapidly  and  well.  Before  leaving  school  be 
sure  that  your  teacher  says  you  are  ready  and  fit 
to  enter  upon  the  duties  of  a  stenographer.  Don't 
leave  school  simply  because  you  think  you  are  com- 
petent and  can  do  just  as  good  work  as  somebody 
else  who  was  formerly  in  your  class  and  is  now 
earning  a  living.  Let  your  teacher  be  the  judge 
of  your  competency;  he  knows  best  your  exact  quali- 
fications, and  will  be  willing  for  you  to  go  forth  into 
the  business  world,  provided  that  you  can  do 
justice  to  yourself,  your  teacher  and  the  school.  He 
knows,  as  you  should,  that  it  will  do  you  more  harm 
than  good  to  leave  school  before  you  are  thoroughly 


74  RUTHERFORD'S    PRACTICAL   POINTERS. 

competent.  Don't  be  impatient.  Everything  comes 
to  him  who  studies  while  he  waits  the  favorable 
opportunity.  If  you  are  well  up  in  spelling  and 
punctuation,  alert  and  capable  in  taking  dictation, 
rapid  and  accurate  in  transcribing  your  shorthand 
notes,  well-informed  on  copying  letters,  mim- 
eographing, hektographing,  manifolding  and  card 
indexing  and,  above  all,  have  "nerve"  to  face  a  new 
dictator,  then  you  are  ready  to  leave  school. 

Your  teacher  should  give  you  a  thorough  exam- 
ination. You  should  be  able  to  write  at  least  100 
words  per  minute  in  shorthand  for  five  minutes,  and 
even  for  ten  minutes  would  be  better.  You  should 
be  able  to  transcribe  the  notes  you  have  taken,  in 
the  five  or  ten-minute  test,  on  the  typewriter  at  the 
rate  of  20  words  per  minute.  If  you  can  transcribe 
them  at  the  rate  of  25  or  30  words  per  minute  accur- 
ately and  practically  without  error,  you  are  doing- 
well.  In  this  examination  your  teacher  should  give 
you  new  matter,  and  not  letters  that  you  have  writ- 
ten several  times  before.  It  would  be  no  test  to  take 
letters  you  had  written  before,  for  in  all  probability 
you  would  know  them  by  heart.  The  test  should  be 
on  business  letters  of  not  too  technical  a  nature;  on 
the  other  hand,  they  should  not  be  made  up  of  words 
of  one  syllable,  but  should  be  a  fair  mixture  cf 
ordinary  language  such  as  would  be  used  by  one 
business  firm  communicating  with  another.  If  you 
succeed  in  putting  the  letters  in  really  proper  shape, 


RUTHERFORD'S     PRACTICAL    POINTERS.  75 

so  that  if  they  were  real  letters  your  dictator  would 
not  hesitate  to  sign  them,  then  you  are  ready  to 
launch  forth  as  a  stenographer.  Be  courageous,  have 
confidence  in  yourself,  in  your  shorthand  and  in 
your  typewriting. 


PART   III. 

The  Stenographer   in   the   Office 


BREAKING  THE  ICE. 

Assuming  that  the  student  of  shorthand  and  type- 
writing has  been  able  to  pass  an  examination  as  set 
forth  in  the  preceding  pages,  he  seeks  the  employ- 
ment bureau  of  one  or  more  of  the  typewriter  com- 
panies, armed  with  a  letter  of  introduction  from  his 
teacher.  He  should  provide  himself  with  a  note- 
book and  pencil  (unless  he  has  a  fountain  pen"»  and 
a  circular  eraser.  On  reaching  his  destination  his 
first  duty  will  doubtless  be  to  fill  out  an  application 
blank  setting  forth  his  name,  address,  qualifications, 
etc.  At  a  stated  time  he  will  have  to  pass  an  ex- 
amination. 

In  some  offices  three  business  letters  are  given 
for  dictation,  each  consisting  of  about  100  words. 
The  first  letter  is  dictated  at  about  80  words  per 
minute,  the  second  letter  at  about  90  words  per 
minute  and  the  third  letter  at  about  100  words  per 
minute.  Before  beginning  to  take  dictation  see  that 
your  pencil  is  sharp,  that  your  note-book  is  in  good 
condition  and  not  twisted  or  curled.  Make  yourself 

76 


RUTHERFORD'S  PRACTICAL  POINTERS.  77 

as  comfortable  as  possible  and  be  sure  to  have  plenty 
of  room  in  which  to  write.  If  there  is  a  machine 
on  the  table  where  your  notes  are  to  be  taken  move 
it  to  one  side,  or  even,  if  necessary,  remove  it  from 
the  table  altogether  so  that  you  will  not  be  ham- 
pered in  any  way.  It  is  most  essential  that  you  get 
the  shorthand  down  well.  Don't  be  nervous.  Sit 
close  to  the  dictator  so  as  to  hear  distinctly  and 
keep  up  with  every  word  dictated.  Concentrate 
your  efforts  on  the  work  in  hand  and  endeavor  not 
to  allow  any  disturbing  element  to  creep  in  and 
disconcert  you.  Get  the  addresses  down  correctly 
and  write  as  much  of  these  as  you  can  in  shorthand. 
When  the  dictation  is  finished,  turn  to  the  machine. 
Write  a  line  and  see  if  the  carriage  runs  nicely,  and 
if  everything  is  in  good  order.  \Vhen  you  are  told 
to  begin  transcribing  don't  rush,  but  proceed  delib- 
erately. Observe  the  form  and  arrangement  in  trans- 
cribing which  you  have  been  taught.  If  you  make  a 
slight  mistake,  erase,  but  don't  waste  time  about  it. 
Take  a  fresh  sheet  of  paper  for  the  second  letter,  and 
also  for  the  third,  and  get  through  with  them  as 
quickly  and  as  nicely  as  you  can.  Don't  let  the  rattle 
of  machines  about  you  make  you  nervous;  you  have 
heard  them  before  at  school.  Don't  worry  because 
someone  else  finished  a  minute  or  two  before  you. 
We  hope  that  success  has  attended  your  efforts  and 
that  you  have  passed  the  examination  satisfactorily. 
If,  however,  you  have  not,  don't  be  discouraged.  It 


/S  RUTHERFORD'S   PRACTICAL  POINTERS. 

is  possible  that  you  have  failed  simply  through  nerv- 
ousness. Don't  think  that  your  teacher  did  not  do 
you  justice  because  you  did  not  pass  the  first  time. 
Try  again.  Practice  faithfully  for  another  week  or 
two  and  then  make  another  attempt.  You  will  soon 
school  yourself  to  withstand  the  nervous  strain  and 
pass  the  examination  without  difficulty. 

APPLYING  FOR  A  POSITION. 

Having  passed  the  examinations  of  the  typewriter 
companies  you  are  now  prepared  to  apply  for  a  posi- 
tion. Possibly  your  teacher  is  able  to  send  you  to 
a  position  at  once  without  the  necessity  of  your  tak- 
ing an  examination  at  the  employment  bureaus  of 
the  typewriter  companies.  So  much  the  better.  We 
will  assume,  anyway,  that  you  are  now  about  to 
embark  in  your  first  business  venture.  A  word  as 
to  your  personal  appearance*.  See  that  your  hands 
and  face  are  clean  and  your  hair  is  tidy.  Young 
man,  be  sure  that  you  are  well  shaved.  Young  lady, 
if  a  veil  improves  your  appearance,  by  all  means 
wear  one.  A  favorable  first  impression  counts  for 
much.  Don't  be  gaudily,  but  neatly,  dressed. 
Have  your  note-book,  pencil  and  eraser  with  you. 
Ee  at  the  office  on  time  and  ask  for  the  person  whose 
name  has  been  given  you.  Young  man,  remove 
your  hat,  and  take  your  hands  from  your  pockets. 
Present  your  letter,  and  if  you  are  asked  whether 
you  are  ready  for  work  answer  in  the  affirmative  and. 


RUTHERFORDS     PRACTICAL     POINTERS.  79 

start  at  once.  At  the  first  opportunity  look  at  your 
machine.  Write  a  line  on  it,  see  if  the  type  and 
back  rods  are  clean  and  the  machine  is  in  good  run- 
ning condition.  If  the  machine  is  dirty,  find  a 
cloth,  which  is  probably  in  the  drawer  with  the 
brush,  and  if  not,  ask  for  them,  and  clean  your 
machine.  This  will  show  that  you  are  business- 
like. We  remember  an  instance  of  a  young  man 
who  was  sent  out  to  look  for  his  first  position.  He 
had  a  two-days'  growth  of  beard  on  his  face,  his 
nails  were  not  clean.  He  crept  into  the  office,  open- 
ing the  door  just  enough  to  admit  his  body. 
He  kept  his  hat  on  and  had  both  hands  in  his 
pockets.  He  took  down  his  letter  from  dictation 
readily  and  then  slouched  over  to  the  machine.  It 
was  covered  with  dust,  the  type  were  full  of  ink,  and 
the  back  rods  so  dirty  that  the  letters  piled  up.  He 
cared  nothing  for  that.  He  went  on  with  his 
transcribing.  "I  wasn't  going  to  clean  their  old 
machine  for  them,"  he  afterwads  said,  and  he  didn't. 
He  tried  his  best  to  write  the  letter,  but  the 
machine  was  so  clogged  with  dirt  that  it  would  not 
respond.  He  wrote  the  letter  three  times  and  de- 
stroyed each  copy.  His  fourth  attempt  was  no  bet- 
ter. His  would-be  employer  asked  for  the  letter, 
which  he  handed  him  just  as  it  was,  without  com- 
plaining about  the  machine.  The  man  told  him, 
after  glancing  at  the  letter,  that  he  would  let  him 
know  his  decision  by  mail — and  he  is  still  waiting. 


8o  RUTHERFORD'S   PRACTICAL   POINTERS. 

If  this  young  man  had  politely  said,  "Sir,  your  ma- 
chine is  very  dirty;  I  must  clean  it  before  I  can 
write  the  letter/'  his  criticism  would  have  been  re- 
ceived with  the  comment,  "That  young  fellow  knows 
his  business,"  and  ample  time  would  have  been  given 
him  to  clean  the  machine. 

Having  attended  to  your  machine,  be  ready  to 
take  dictation.  Keep  your  note-book  open  at  the 
proper  place  and  the  pen  or  pencil  at  hand.  Go  with 
alacrity,  but  quietly,  of  course,  to  the  seat  beside 
your  employer's  desk.  Take  down  every  word  he 
says.  If  he  dictates  too  rapidly,  ask  him  to  be  kind 
enough  to  repeat,  and  say  you  will  do  better  when 
you  are  accustomed  to  his  voice.  When  you  have 
the  letters  down,  go  to  your  machine  and  transcribe 
the  shorthand  with  accuracy  and  despatch.  Make 
sense  of  each  letter  and  get  each  one  out  in  first- 
class  shape  just  as  you  learned  to  do  in  school.  Don't 
hurry  too  much  and  make  mistakes;  make  haste,  but 
make  haste  slowly.  Do  your  level  best,  and  all  will 
be  well. 

Ask  someone  at  what  hour  you  are  to  go  for  your 
lunch  and  how  much  time  you  are  allowed.  You 
need  not  worry  the  principal  about  this,  but  you 
will,  no  doubt,  soon  learn  who  is  in  charge  of  the 
office  routine  and  from  whom  you  are  to  take  in- 
structions. Be  prompt  and  punctual  in  returning. 
Keep  busy  all  the  time,  but  keep  busy  on  something 
useful.  If  you  have  a  few  minutes  to  spare  from 


RUTHERFORD'S   PRACTICAL   POINTERS.  81 

your  work  devote  it  to  practice  on  your  machine. 
Be  sure  to  keep  your  note-book  open  at  the  proper 
place  ready  for  instant  service.  Be  as  quiet  as  possi- 
ble about  your  work  and,  above  all,  mind  your  own 
business.  When  you  have  finished  your  work  for 
the  day  put  your  note-book  and  papers  in  the  draw- 
ers of  your  desk  in  order,  and  cover  the  machine 
with  its  metal  cover,  if  it  does  not  drop  into  a  cabi- 
net. Place  everything  where  you  can  find  it  imme- 
diately next  morning. 

"  FUSS  AND  FEATHERS." 

Being  duly  installed  in  a  position,  let  us  impress 
upon  you  the  necessity  of  trying  to  think  for  your- 
self. Be  self-reliant,  at  the  same  time  ready  and 
willing  to  take  advice  from  others.  Do  not  be 
impressed  with  a  sense  of  your  own  importance  and 
never  believe  for  a  moment  that  your  services  are 
indispensable.  Don't  force  yourself  on  the  attention 
of  your  principal  or  those  in  authority  over  you.  Let 
your  good  work  and  persistent  attention  to  your 
duties  speak  for  themselves.  What  transpires  in  the 
office  must  never  be  mentioned  outside.  Be  quick, 
quiet,  and  accurate  in  your  work.  Don't  complain 
of  the  amount  of  work  you  have  to  do. 

"The  most  costly  waste  in  business  life,"  says  the 
Saturday  Evening  Post,  "is  fuss  and  feathers.  La- 
mont,  the  humble  reporter,  did  good  service  quietly. 
He  asked  f.ew  questions,  said  little,  went  ahead. 


82  RUTHERFORD'S   PRACTICAL  POINTERS. 

Cortelyou,  the  unknown  stenographer,  grasped  his 
duties,  performed  them,  and  won  a  cabinet  portfolio. 
The  men  of  fuss  and  feathers  wondered  why  they  did 
not  do  so  well.  Modern  business  is  swift.  Its  orders 
do  not  admit  of  debate  or  explanation.  A 
word  may  mean  a  full  day's  toil.  The  presi- 
dent or  manager  talks  in  snappy  sentences — each 
means  a  task.  The  employe  who  understands  and 
does  the  work  without  questions  gets  the  next  pro- 
motion. To  a  real  man  of  business  nothing  is  more 
annoying  than  'How  shall  I  do  this?'  or,  'Do  you 
think  it  ought  to  be  done  this  way,  or  would  you 
prefer  it  some  other  way?'  or,  'I  beg  your  pardon, 
but  I  want  to  be  very  sure  that  I  caught  your  exact 
meaning.'  Fuss  and  feathers  men  think  they  score 
by  impressing  their  own  importance.  They  don't. 
Modern  business  is  argus-eyed.  It  watches  its  men 
keenly,  weighs  their  usefulness,  judges  by  results. 
Time  taken  in  talk  is  time  taken  from  work.  Mod- 
ern business  uses  a  stop  watch  in  the  close  race  for 
success."  This  is  fine,  good  advice.  Take  it  well 
to  heart — don't  be  a  'fuss  and  feathers'  stenog- 
rapher. 

TECHNICAL  WORDS  AND  HOW  TO  DEAL  WITH  THEH. 

Into  whatever  line  of  business  you  may  chance 
to  go  you  are  bound  to  meet  with  unfamiliar  words. 
Some  will  be  technical,  others  possibly  outside  your 
vocabulary.  In  dealing  with  technical  words, 


RUTHERFORD'S    PRACTICAL   POINTERS.  83 

principals  are  usually  willing  to  give  their  stenog- 
raphers time  to  get  them  down  properly  or  will 
furnish  a  list  of  them.  In  your  spare  moments  study 
these;  make  up  outlines  or  abbreviated  forms  for  the 
difficult  ones.  For  those  of  frequent  occurrence, 
evolve  brief  forms.  In  a  few  days  you  will  be  able 
to  comprehend  the  usual  routine  manner  of  your 
dictator  and  adapt  phrases  to  meet  his  special  forms 
of  dictation.  The  phrase  book  will  help  you  mate- 
rially in  this  respect.  Although  possibly  some  of 
the  phrases  may  not  be  in  the  book,  the  many  exam- 
ples given  will  suggest  the  best  outlines  for  the  par- 
ticular phrases  used  by  your  employer.  In  the  case 
of  new  or  difficult  words,  ask  how  they  are  spelled 
if  necessary,  but  do  not  trouble  your  employer  un- 
less it  is  really  essential  that  you  should  do  so.  Keep 
a  small  dictionary  in  your  desk  for  reference.  Get 
down  the  sound  of  the  word  as  nearly  as  you  can 
make  it  out  and  when  you  come  to  it  in  your  notes 
look  it  up  in  the  dictionary.  See  that  it  makes 
good  sense.  If  it  does  not,  ask,  so  that  you  may 
have  it  right.  Rely  upon  yourself,  however,  just  as 
much  as  you  can.  and  gradually  as  your  own  vocab- 
ulary is  increased  you  will  find  that  your  difficulties 
will  decrease. 

In  every  line  of  business  technicalities  abound. 
The  good  stenographer  must  adapt  himself  to  his 
surroundings  and  study  the  technicalities  of  the 


84  RUTHERFORD'S   PRACTICAL   POINTERS. 

business  in  which  he  is  engaged  until  he  is  perfectly 
conversant  with  them. 

The  following  good  advice  from  an  old  shorthand 
magazine  is  worthy  of  reproduction  here:  "If  you 
are  a  stenographer  and  are  in  doubt  about  a  word, 
a  phrase,  or  a  sentence,  draw  a  perpendicular  mark 
down  the  left-hand  margin  of  your  note-book  and 
when  your  employer  ceases  dictating  turn  to  the 
marked  page,  read  the  doubtful  part  and  have  it 
straightened.  It  is  better  not  to  interrupt  a  per- 
son when  dictating,  if  possible  to  avoid  it,  as  it  often 
breaks  the  train  of  thought  which  sometimes  cannot 
be  recalled.  Many  persons  are  annoyed  by  inter- 
ruptions while  dictating  and  strongly  object  to  them. 
At  the  close  of  the  dictation  is  the  time  to  have 
corrections  made.  Do  not  wait  until  you  commence 
transcribing  your  notes  before  calling  the  attention 
of  your  employer  to  doubtful  passages,  as  frequently 
he  will  have  entirely  forgotten  the  subject  and  Aviil 
be  unable  to  recall  the  exact  expressions  used  at 
the  time,  which  may  have  been  carefully  chosen  for 
a  particular  purpose.  Until  you  are  thoroughly 
familiar  with  the  employer's  composition  and  his 
business  it  is  better  not  to  attempt  to  supply  lan- 
guage, as  you  will  seldom  please  him,  and  will  get 
the  reputation  of  being  a  poor  stenographer  when 
in  many  cases  the  fault  is  with  the  dictator.  This 
remark  does  not  apply  to  the  correction  of  English. 
In  calling  a  person'?  attention  to  these  irregularities 


RUTHERFORD'S   PRACTICAL   POINTERS.  85 

it  is  just  as  well  not  to  impress  him  with  the  idea 
that  you  believe  he  is  at  fault.  Considerable  tact 
may  be  used  in  pointing  out  errors  to  employers, 
and  with  some  men  this  is  necessary,  as  they  are 
extremely  sensitive  upon  the  point  and  do  not  like 
rto  acknowledge,  even  to  their  trusted  stenographers, 
that  they  can  make  mistakes.  Say,  for  example, 
'Let  me  see  whether  I  heard  you  correctly,'  'I  do 
not  exactly  understand,'  'I  am  in  doubt  about  this 
word,'  or  use  some  expression  which,  while  it  does 
not  throw  the  blame  on  the  dictator,  at  the  same 
time  does  not  compromise  you  as  a  stenographer. 
Finally,  remember  that  while  circumstances  often 
make  the  man,  the  young  man  who  desires  to  suc- 
ceed must  take  advantage  of  circumstances." 

DON'T  WASTE  THE  OFFICE  STATIONERY. 

It  is  a  good  plan  when  in  school  to  learn  to  write 
so  correctly  that  you  may  dispense  entirely  with  the 
use  of  an  eraser.  When  one  is  in  business,  however, 
and  under  pressure  for  time,  more  mistakes  are 
made,  and  as  a  consequence  an  eraser  becomes  al- 
most indispensable.  Unless  an  eraser  is  used  when- 
ever an  error  is  made  it  will  entail  the  destruction 
of  the  sheet  of  paper,  and  this  waste  in  the  course 
of  a  week  may  become  something  quite  consider- 
able. This  should  be  watched  and  guarded  against 
as  much  as  possible.  Few  business  men  are  stingy 
over  a  few  sheets  of  paper,  but  none  of  them  like  tp 


86  RUTHERFORD'S   PRACTICAL  POINTERS. 

see  wanton  waste,  and  the  destruction  of  sheet  after 
sheet  of  paper  for  trivial  errors  which  the  proper  use 
of  an  eraser  would  correct  in  a  moment  is  willful  and 
extravagant  waste.  Try  to  write  without  mistakes, 
but  if  you  make  them  erase  them  and  do  not  de- 
stroy the  office  stationery. 

READING  BACK  YOUR  NOTES. 

The  stenographer  will  be  often  called  upon  to 
read  back  his  notes.  The  dictator  may  lose  the 
thread  of  his  dictation,  or  he  may  be  interrupted 
by  a  telephone  call  or  an  interviewer.  In  such  cases 
he  will  desire  to  know  where  he  stopped  and  will 
call  on  the  stenographer  to  read  back  the  dictated 
matter.  It  is  imperative,  therefore,  that  the  stenog- 
rapher should  have  the  utmost  facility  in  reading  his 
shorthand  notes.  Train  yourself,  then,  by  reading 
all  the  shorthand  you  write  until  you  can  read  it 
as  easily  as  print.  If  you  have  little  practice  in  short- 
hand in  business  try  to  get  someone  to  read  to  you 
in  the  evening  to  prevent  your  losing  your  speed. 
Whenever  you  get  practice  of  this  kind  be  sure  to 
read  back  all  you  have  written.  At  the  time  you 
read  back  place  a  circle  around  any  outline  or  phrase 
that  has  given  you  trouble,  and  afterwards  practice 
it  until  yoa  are  perfectly  familiar  with  it.  It  is  a 
good  plan  to  pick  out  sentences  here  and  there  and 
read  them  without  the  context.  Do  everything  to 
Accustom  yourself  thoroughly  to  reading  your  short- 


RUTHERFORD'S   PRACTICAL   POINTERS.  87 

hand  notes.     A  good  shorthand  reader  is  bound  to 
be  a  good  shorthand  writer. 

The  following  good  advice  from  the  "Exponent'* 
cf  Chicago  is  worthy  of  attention:  "With  regard  to 
facility  in  reading,  like  facility  in  writing,  it  comes 
from  practice.  It  is  admittedly  difficult  to  acquire 
facility  in  reading  very  imperfect  writing,  and  you 
can  therefore  hope  to  acquire  facility  in  reading  only 
as  you  acquire  good  execution  in  outlines.  I  have 
always  noticed  that  those  students  who  devoted 
their  spare  time  to  reading  their  notes,  reading  the 
same  article  repeatedly,  become  independent,  posi- 
tive readers.  Only  three  things  are  necessary  to 
become  a  good  reader,  viz.,  to  thoroughly  know  the 
principles,  to  make  an  intelligent  application  of  them 
in  writing,  and  to  give  much  thoughtful  practice  to 
reading." 

A  FEW  DON'TS  IN  BUSINESS. 

DON'T  LOOK  AT  THE  CLOCK.  It  is  a  bad  plan  when 
in  business  to  watch  the  clock,  and  to  be  eternally 
waiting  for  "closing  time."  Work  energetically  and 
well  as  long  as  there  is  anything  to  do.-  Keep  busy 
all  the  time,  and  be  ready  and  willing  to  do  any- 
thing that  may  be  required  of  you.  If  you  are 
asked  to  write  a  letter  a  few  moments  before  clos- 
ing time,  do  it  cheerfully.  It  may  inconvenience 
you,  but  it  is  better  that  you  should  suffer  than  that 
your  employer  or  the  business  should  suffer.  A 


88  RUTHERFORD'S   PRACTICAL   POINTERS. 

slight  service  rendered  willingly  and  gladly  is  often 
repaid  a  thousand-fold.     "Don't  look  at  the  clock." 

DON'T  BE  GRUFF  OR  RUDE.  A  pleasant  word 
and  a  happy  smile  will  carry  one  far  in  business. 
Try  to  be  cheerful  in  your  work.  Greet  your  fellow 
employes  in  the  morning  with  the  usual  salutations 
and  be  polite  and  courteous  at  all  times.  Don't  be 
disagreeable  and  curt  to  callers.  They  may  inter- 
rupt your  work,  but  it  is  only  for  a  few  moments, 
and  a  little  courtesy  extended  to  a  stranger  will 
never  come  amiss.  Be  respectful  to  your  employer 
and  not  overbearing  to  your  subordinates.  A  cour- 
teous manner  will  raise  you  in  everyone's  estimation. 

DON'T  NEGLECT  YOUR  MACHINE.  Your  machine 
should  receive  your  first  attention  in  the  morning. 
Dust  it,  clean  the  type,  and  oil  such  parts  as  require 
lubrication.  Watch  your  ribbon  and  see  that  you 
do  not  strike  the  keys  so  hard  that  you  wear  holes 
in  it.  Try  to  cultivate  an  even,  regular  touch. 
Above  all,  keep  the  machine  clean. 

DON'T  WRITE  WITH  A  BLUNT  PENCIL.  If  you 
use  a  lead  pencil  for  your  shorthand  notes,  use  a 
good  one  that  does  not  scratch  and  always  keep  the 
point  sharp.  Don't  write  with  a  blunt  pencil;  it  will 
make  your  notes  illegible,  cause  you  to  write  large 
notes  and  give  you  endless  trouble.  Sharpen  your 
penci's  at  both  ends  a^d  always  have  them  ready. 

DON'T  NEGLECT  YOUR  SHORTHAND.  If  you  have 
little  practice  at  shorthand  at  the  office,  try  to  get 


RUTHERFORD'S  PRACTICAL  POINTERS.  89 

some  outside,  by  taking  down  sermons,  lectures, 
political  addresses  and  the  like.  If  you  can  possibly 
find  time,  transcribe  all  reports  made  in  this  way, 
but,  at  any  rate,  read  over  all  the  notes  carefully. 

DON'T  BE  LATE.  Punctuality  is  the  soul  of  busi- 
ness. Try  always  to  be  on  time.  In  some  firms  time 
clocks  are  used  to  keep  a  record  of  each  employe's 
attendance.  They  may  not  have  them  in  the  house 
in  which  you  are  employed,  but  whether  they  have 
them  or  not,  always  be  punctual. 

HOW  TO  WRITE  NAMES  AND  ADDRESSES. 

To  the  new  stenographer  the  names  and  addresses 
of  the  correspondents  will  present  a  difficulty.  They 
are  familiar  to  the  dictator,  and  he  will  in  all  proba- 
bility read  them  rapidly.  At  first  you  must  try- 
to  get  them  down  as  well  as  you  can.  Write  as 
much  as  possible  in  shorthand,  of  course,  and  if 
you  do  not  get  the  name  and  address  clearly  wait 
until  the  letter  is  dictated  and  then  ask  to  have  the 
name  and  address  repeated. 

In  many  offices  the  letters  are  handed  over  to  the 
stenographer  to  file  as  soon  as  the  replies  are  dic- 
tated. In  such  a  case  it  is  an  easy  matter  to  refer 
to  the  letters  and  get  the  names  and  addresses  cor- 
rectly. Another  plan,  which  we  have  found  ad- 
vantageous, is  to  number  each  letter  as  it  is  dictated. 
This  the  principal  does  when  he  dictates  it  by  saying 
"number  I,"  and  placing  the  number  on  the  letter. 


90  RUTHERFORD  S    PRACTICAL    POINTERS. 

The  stenographer  numbers  the  letters  in  his  note- 
book to  correspond,  and  then  when  transcribing 
gets  the  names  and  addresses  direct  from  the  orig- 
inal letters.  This  saves  time  for  the  dictator  and 
avoids  the  possibility  of  mistakes. 

Where,  as  in  some  businesses,  each  letter  is  num- 
bered with  a  rubber  stamp  as  soon  as  received,  all 
the  stenographer'  needs  to  have  is  the  consecutive 
number  and  the  letter  handed  over  to  him  for  filing 
purposes. 

GETTING  A  POSITION. 

Don't  wait  for  something  to  turn  up,  but  turn 
up  something.  You  may  be  somewhat  unfor- 
tunate in  obtaining  a  position,  or  in  holding  one 
for  any  -length  of  time.  Possibly,  too,  you 
may  wish  to  improve  your  position  and  would  like 
more  salary.  To  you  we  would  tender  a  little  ad- 
vice. Go  to  the  typewriter  offices  and  register 
your  name  and  address  free  of  charge.  If  an 
opening  occurs  they  will  be  pleased  to  advise 
you.  Refer  to  the  "want"  columns  of  the  daily 
papers  and  answer  the  advertisements  you  see  there 
for  stenographers.  Write  a  brief,  concise  letter  re- 
ferring to  the  advertisement,  stating  that  you  are 
a  stenographer  and  are  willing  to  call  and  give  the 
advertiser  an  opportunity  of  testing  your  abilities 
if  he  will  favor  you  with  an  interview.  It  may  be 
that  vou  will  answer  a  dozen  advertisements  and  not 


RUTHERFORD'S   PRACTICAL  POINTERS.  91 

get  a  single  reply.  Don't  be  discouraged.  Some- 
thing will  come  your  way  shortly  if  you  will  keep 
on  trying  rather  than  waiting  ior  something  to  turn 
up.  Beware  of  those  '"fakirs"  who  guarantee  em- 
ployment and  take  students  for  a  week  on  trial  and 
then  discharge  them  without  pay.  Don't  consent  to 
work  for  anyone  without  a  special  agreement  as  to 
the  salary  that  is  to  be  paid  to  you  at  the  end  of 
the  week  or  month,  as  the  case  may  be.  The  taking 
down  and  transcribing  of  a  single  letter  will  fully 
demonstrate  your  abilities.  You  may  do  this  with 
impunity  and  willingly,  but  have  nothing  to  do  with 
those  who  wish  you  to  come  for  a  week  on  trial 
without  remuneration.  They  sometimes  get  their 
work  done  month  after  month  by  making  false 
promises  that  if  one  will  work  for  a  week  for  noth- 
ing doubtless  there  will  be  a  splendid  opening,  and 
at  the  end  of  the  week  the  poor  stenographer  is 
discharged  and  another  unfortunate  engaged  on  the 
following  Monday  for  another  week  on  the  same 
specious  excuse.  Every  man  is  worthy  of  his  hire, 
and  you  must  be  paid  for  your  work  from  the  very 
first  day.  There  are  some  very  reputable  employ- 
ment bureaus  which  offer  to  obtain  positions  for 
stenographers  in  consideration  of  one  week's  salary 
being  paid  to  them,  in  installments,  after  the  posi- 
tion is  secured.  The  student  should  exercise  care 
and  discretion  in  dealing  with  these  employment 
bureaus,  As  a  rule  he  should  studiously  avoid  those. 


92  RUTHERFORDS     PRACTICAL     POINTERS. 

who  ask  a  certain  fee  payable  in  advance  for  regis- 
tration. These  offices  generally  take  the  fee  and 
that  is  the  last  the  stenographer  hears  of  the  agency. 
The  other  bureaus  which  offer  to  secure  a  position 
and'  then  ask  for  one  week's  salary,  payable  by  in- 
stallments, are  less  objectionable.  It  is  sometimes 
better  to  pay  an  employment  bureau  $2  per  week 
for  a  month  or  so  than  it  is  to  remain  idle  for  sev- 
eral weeks  and  lose  your  shorthand  and  typewriting 
speed. 

The  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  and  the 
Young  Women's  Christian  Association  also  have 
employment  bureaus  in  every  city  of  importance 
and  are  always  ready  to  place  their  services  at  the 
disposal  of  stenographers  who  can  really  do  good 
work.  Put  an  advertisement  in  the  best  paper  in 
your  town  or  city,  that  you  are  a  stenographer  and 
in  want  of  a  position,  and  doubtless  it  will  put  you  in 
touch  with  something.  If  you  have  to  wait  for  a 
position  practice  all  you  can.  Practice  at  the  type- 
writer offices  for  an  hour  or  so  each  day.  Keep  in 
close  touch  with  your  school  and  be  ready  to  em- 
brace the  opportunity  for  employment  when  it 
comes.  Use  all  the  opportunities  within  your  grasp 
to  obtain  a  position;  keep  a  sharp  lookout,  and  you 
will  soon  find  yourself  in  a  lucrative  and  congenial 
situation^ 


RUTHERFORD'S   PRACTICAL   POINTERS.  93 

A  FEW  POINTERS  FOR  THE  OFFICE  STENOGRAPHER. 

MARGINS  IN  NOTE-BOOK.  It  will  be  found  a 
good  plan  to  leave  a  fair  margin  on  the  left-hand 
side  of  your  note-book.  It  not  only  affords  a  better 
hold  of  the  note-book  when  taking  dictation  on  the 
corner  of  a  desk  or  on  your  knee,  but  it  permits 
of  an  available  space  for  the  insertion  of  matter 
omitted  for  the  moment  by  the  dictator.  Few 
business  men  dictate  connectedly  and  in  the  proper 
order  exactly  what  they  wish  to  say.  They  often 
desire  to  interpolate,  and  in  such  cases  the  margin 
on  the  left  of  the  note-book  will  be  found  very  useful. 

TAKE  AN  INTEREST  IN  YOUR  EMPLOYER'S  AFFAIRS. 
By  this  we  do  not  mean  that  you  should  be 
inquisitive,  but  learn  as  much  about  the  business 
as  you  can.  The  stenographer's  position  is  one  that 
offers  opportunity  in  this  respect  that  no  other 
affords,  and  the  stenographer  invariably  becomes,  if 
he  keeps  his  eyes  well  open,  almost  indispensable 
to  his  employer.  Take  an  interest,  then,  in  what 
is  going  on  around  you;  learn  all  you  can  about  the 
business  in  which  you  are  engaged;  and  as  far  as 
possible  become  a  "perambulating  encyclopedia"  of 
information  for  your  employer  and  for  him  alone. 
Never  mention  outside  the  office  what  happens 
within  it. 

INDEX  AND  DATE  YOUR  NOTE-BOOKS.  In  some 
businesses,  especially  in  legal  offices,  all  note-books 
are  filed  away  for  future  reference.  In  these  cases 


94  RUTHERFORD  S     PRACTICAL     POINTERS. 

write  on  the  cover  the  number,  date  of  commence- 
ment and  time  of  completion  of  the  book,  and  then 
file  it  away  where  it  can  be  readily  found  for  refer- 
ence purposes.  Date  your  note-book  at  the  begin- 
ning of  each  day's  work  and  cancel  the  notes  written 
up  by  striking  a  perpendicular  line  down  the  page. 
Form  these  habits  while  in  school. 

THE  PHONOGRAPH  IN  BUSINESS. 

The  phonograph  at  one  time  threatened  to  take 
the  place  of  the  shorthand  writer  in  the  taking  of 
dictation.  It  was  found,  however,  that  every  busi- 
ness man  could  not  dictate  his  correspondence  into 
the  machine  without  an  occasional  interpolation. 
As  a  consequence  the  phonograph  has  not  yet  met 
with  such  approval  at  the  hands  of  the  average  busi- 
ness man  as  \vas  anticipated.  It  is  used,  however,  to 
some  extent,  and  the  up-to-date  stenographer 
should  learn  all  about  it.  For  office  purposes  the 
machine  is  fitted  with  an  apparatus  for  checking  the 
speed  of  the  motor  when  desired,  so  that  dictation 
may  be  taken  at  any  rate  of  speed.  The  employer 
dictates  to  the  machine  his  replies  to  the  corre- 
spondence. The  records  or  cylinders,  as  completed, 
are  taken  to  the  typewriter  operator  and  placed 
upon  another  machine  beside  the  typewriter.  The 
hearing  tubes  are  placed  in  the  ears  by  the  operator 
and  the  transcribing  begins.  A  switch  is  provided 
by  which  the  machine  may  be  instantly  started  or 


RUTHERFORD'S   PRACTICAL   POINTERS.  95 

stopped.  The  reproducer  may  also  be  moved  back 
so  as  to  repeat  any  matter  that  was  not  fully  un- 
derstood. When  a  sentence  is  taken  it  is  transcribed 
on  the  typewriter,  the  phonograph  being  stopped  in 
the  meantime,  and  so  the  letters  are  completed  in 
this  way. 

Of  course  the  phonograph  dispenses  with  the 
shorthand,  but  the  unwieldiness  of  the  machine  and 
its  initial  expense,  together  with  the  difficulties  of 
adjusting  the  needles  for  making  and  reading  the 
records,  all  present  bars  to  its  universal  adoption. 
So  far  as  we  have  seen  there  is  no  fear  of  the  stenog- 
rapher being  superseded  by  the  phonograph.  Many 
court  and  congressional  reporters,  however,  use  the 
phonograph  for  transcribing  purposes,  since  the 
transcript  may  be  dictated  direct  into  the  machine 
and  then  handed  over  to  several  typists  to  be  type- 
written. In  this  way  much  time  is  saved,  as  all  the 
court  reporter  has  to  do  is  to  read  his  notes  as  rap- 
idly as  he  possibly  can  into  the  recording  machine. 
To  the  court  stenographer,  or  the  trained  dictator, 
the  phonograph  is  a  very  valuable  factor  in  econo- 
mising time.  The  phonograph  may  also  be  made 
most  useful  for  increasing  speed  in  shorthand. 

THE  LAW  STENOGRAPHER. 

The  duties  of  the  stenographer  in  a  legal  office 
generally  call  for  a  higher  speed,  both  in  shorthand 
and  typewriting,  than  the  commercial  stenographer, 


g6  RUTHERFORD'S   PRACTICAL   POINTERS. 

as  well  as  a  special  training  on  legal  forms.  In  a 
(corresponding  ratio  there  is  a  high  rate  of  remun- 
eration. The  stenographer  who  is  ambitious  and 
would  reach  the  court  reporter's  chair,  should  have 
a  special  training  on  legal  forms,  words  and  phrases. 
The  majority  of  court  reporters  owe  their  positions 
to  the  fact  that  they  obtained  their  early  training  in 
lawyers'  offices.  Legal  terms  and  phraseology  are 
studies  of  themselves,  and  the  forms  in  which  the 
various  documents  are  set  out  or  drawn  up  call  for 
special  drill  and  expertness.  From  four  to  five  car- 
bon copies  are  made  of  all  documents  on  the  type- 
writer, and  this  style  of  writing  necessitates  absolute 
accuracy  and  fidelity  in  copying.  Briefs  and  other 
legal  documents  are  dictated  and  taken  down  in 
shorthand,  and  frequently  to  these  are  added  long 
extracts  from  legal  books  which  call  for  exact  copy- 
ing. The  legal  stenographer  is  often  called  upon  to 
take  shorthand  reports  of  hearings,  references,  or 
examinations  of  witnesses.  These  give  a  good  in- 
sight into  court  work.  Unless  the  legal  stenog- 
rapher phrases  he  cannot  obtain  the  shorthand  speed 
that  is  requisite.  It  is  therefore  necessary  for  him 
to  train  himself  on  legal  phrases.  The  phrase  book 
contains  a  large  number  of  these,  which  should  be 
memorized.  The  various  treatises  on  typewriting 
will  give  the  ambitious  legal  stenographer  the  ma- 
jority of  legal  forms,  and  a  good  drilling  on  these, 
supplemented  when  he  gets  into  a  legal  office  with 


RUTHERFORD'S   PRACTICAL   POINTERS.  97 

a  copy  to  follow,  will  enable  him  to  do  good  and 
satisfactory  work. 

The  use  of  the  variable  spacer  or  free  roller  on  the 
typewriter  will  enable  him  to  fill  up  blanks  in  legal 
forms  and  to  write  on  lines  with  the  greatest  ease. 
This  kind  of  work  should  be  included  in  his  drill,  for 
a  legal  form  filled  out  poorly,  with  the  typewriting 
out  of  alignment  with  the  ruled  lines,  looks  espe- 
cially bad.  The  use  of  the  variable  spacer,  or  free 
roller,  on  the  typewriter  obviates  the  necessity  of 
pulling  the  paper  from  the  back  in  adjusting  it  for 
writing  on  lines.  All  legal  documents  are  indented 
on  the  left-hand  side,  and  to  obtain  this  the  left-hand 
marginal  stop  is  generally  fixed  at  10  or  15  on  the 
scale,  depending  on  the  exact  position  of  the  per- 
pendicular ruled  line  on  the  legal  paper. 

Reports  of  references  or  hearings  are  transcribed 
on  note-sized  paper,  questions  and  answers  being 
usually  placed  on  separate  lines.  These  sheets  are 
generally  bound  up  in  the  form  of  a  book,  perfora- 
tions being  made  on  the  left-hand  side  of  each  sheet 
for  that  purpose. 

To  reach  the  court  reporter's  position  the  stenog- 
rapher must  first  be  well  drilled  on  legal  forms  and 
documents  in  a  lawyer's  office,  learn  to  phrase  well, 
write  shorthand  rapidly  and  read  his  notes  like  print. 
Practice  for  this  all  you  can;  do  good  work  and  leave 
no  stone  unturned  to  obtain  influence  that  will  back 
up  your  ambition. 


98  RUTHERFORD'S   PRACTICAL   POINTERS. 

THE  LIFE  INSURANCE  STENOGRAPHER. 

The  life  insurance  stenographer  has  to  master  a 
phraseology  that  is  very  different  from  that  of  the 
commercial  or  legal  shorthand  writer.  Most  dicta- 
tion books  give  ample  practice  in  this  special  kind 
of  work,  and  a  few  weeks'  drilling  in  life  insurance 
phrases  and  terms  will  soon  make  one  competent. 
The  use  of  the  typewriter  in  an  insurance  office  calls 
for  a  thorough  training  in  the  use  of  the  variable 
spacer,  as  many  forms  have  to  be  filled  out.  Long 
and  extra  long  carriages  are  also  used  for  writing 
policies,  and  the  stenographer  intending  to  equip 
himself  for  life  insurance  office  work  should  be  thor- 
oughly acquainted  with  the  use  of  the  wide  carriage 
machines.  The  tabulator  is  also  used  in  insurance 
offices,  it  being  frequently  necessary  to  write  col- 
umns of  figures.  The  mimeograph  is  also  used  to  a 
great  extent,  and  it  would  be  well  for  the  stenog- 
rapher to  be  drilled  on  the  uses  of  this  valuable 
machine. 

THE  RAILROAD  AND  STEAMSHIP  STENOGRAPHER. 

The  offices  of  the  railroad  and  steamship  com- 
panies are  usually  very  busy  places  and  the  stenog- 
rapher generally  has  every  moment  occupied.  The 
work  of  a  railroad  office  is  of  a  technical  character, 
but  much  information  on  this  subject  can  be  ob- 
'tained  from  the  various  dictation  books.  Nearly  all 
the  railroad  and  steamship  companies  use  the  wide 


R'LYTIIERFORD'S   PRACTICAL   toiNfERS.  99 

carriage  machines  for  manifests,  bills  of  lading,  etc. 
It  is  important,  therefore,  that  the  stenographer 
should  know  how  to  use  these  machines.  Many 
forms  of  various  widths  have  to  be  filled  out.  The 
variable  spacer  and  free  roller  must  be  used  con- 
stantly, as  it  would  be  impracticable  to  shift  the 
paper  so  frequently.  Very  few  railroad  letters  are 
press  copied,  but  one  or  more  carbon  copies  are 
made  of  each  letter  and  attached  to  the  correspond- 
ence. In  railway  and  steamship  work  all  the  papers 
or  correspondence  relating  to  a  certain  subject  are 
kept  together,  and  when  completed  are  filed  away  in 
one  compartment.  The  hektograph  is  largely  used 
for  multiplying  copies  of  way  bills,  manifests,  bills 
of  lading,  etc.  For  railroad  and  steamship  work,  get 
a  thorough  training  in  the  way  of  carbons,  wide  car- 
riage, hektograph,  mimeograph  and  the  variable 
spacer  or  free  roller  for  filling  in  blanks  on  forms. 

MANUSCRIPT  COPYING. 

Manuscript  copying,  as,  in  fact,  all  other  type- 
writing work,  generally  calls  for  accurate  and  rapid 
operation  of  the  typewriter.  Very  little  shorthand 
is  used.  The  copying  of  plays  is  usually  done  on 
ordinary  letter-size  paper,  this  being  the  size  pre- 
ferred by  editors,  and  the  work  usually  permits  of 
good  typewriting  well  set  up.  Examples  of  the  style 
are  given  in  all  the  typewriting  instructors,  and  the 
typist  intending  to  earn  his  or  her  living  at  this  class 


100  RUTHgRFORD's     PRACTICAL    POINTERS. 

of  work  should  drill  especially  on  it.  "Study  parts" 
for  the  use  of  the  actors  are  also  typewritten  and 
contain  such  portions  of  the  play  as  are  required  to 
be  memorized  by  the  particular  actor  for  whom  the 
part  is  intended,  with  the  last  words  of  the  previous 
sentence  spoken  by  another  actor  so  as  to  give  him 
the  "cue."  The  typist  undertaking  this  class  of 
work  should  not  only  be  a  good  reader  of  illegible 
handwriting,  but  a  good  speller  and  grammarian,  in 
addition  to  being  well  drilled  in  punctuation.  Good 
prices  are  obtained  for  theatrical  and  other  manu- 
script copying,  and  in  the  large  cities  this  class  of 
work  is  in  the  hands  of  a  few  copying  offices  which 
make  a  specialty  of  this  class  of  work. 

THE  PUBLIC  STENOGRAPHER. 

The  public  stenographer  several  years  ago  occu- 
pied a  remunerative  and  important  position  in  the 
business  world,  and  today  in  many  of  the  leading 
hotels  and  office  buildings  of  the  large  cities  such 
stenographers  find  lucrative  business.  It  is  at  best, 
however,  a  precarious  livelihood,  and  the  work  must 
generally  be  done  hurriedly.  It  necessitates  a 
thorough  knowledge  of  shorthand  with  first-class 
speed,  good  hearing  (for  one  must  take  dictation 
from  all  kinds  of  dictators),  good  spelling,  faultless 
grammar  and  rapid  typewriter  operating.  Com- 
bined with  these  accomplishments  the  operator  must 
have  a  pleasant  manner  and  the  ability  to  remain 


RUTHERFORD'S    PRACTICAL    POINTERS.  101 

Composed  under  all  circumstances.  Many  hotels 
charge  rental  for  the  use  of  their  space;  others 
give  space  in  consideration  of  the  stenographer 
doing  the  letter  writing  of  the  hotel  free  of 
charge.  Nearly  all  the  large  buildings  in  the  cities 
grant  privileges  to  one  stenographer  to  take  in  work 
for  that  building  alone.  Some  have  to  pay  for  this 
right  in  addition  to  the  rent  of  an  office.  In  other 
buildings  the  right  is  included  in  the  rental,  with 
the  understanding  that  no  other  typewriter  operator 
shall  be  permitted  to  solicit  work  from  the  tenants 
of  the  building. 

The  easy  terms  on  which  typewriting  machines 
may  be  obtained  and  the  desirability  of  having  a 
stenographer  at  hand  whenever  wanted,  have  placed 
machines  and  operators  in  almost  every  office,  and 
consequently  very  little  work  is  sent  out  to  be 
copied. 

The  public  stenographer  should  own  a  machine, 
with  wide  carriage  and  tabulator,  also  a  mimeo- 
graph and  a  hektograph.  The  main  point  to  be 
observed  in  public  typewriting  is  good  work  at 
all  times,  no  mistakes,  and  rapid  execution. 

TECHNICAL  REPORTING. 

Each  particular  business  or  profession  calls  for  its 
special  nomenclature,  and  the  stenographer  taking 
up  a  new  line  of  dictation  will  find  that  he  will- have 
dictated  to  him  words  which  he  never  heard  before, 


10:2  RUTHERFORD'S   PRACTICAL  POINTERS. 

the  execution  of  which  call  for  all  the  skill  he  pos- 
sesses. The  medical  profession  has  a  vocabulary 
which  requires  a  special  study  of  years  to  acquire  so 
that  it  may  be  handled  with  any  degree  of  facility, 
and  in  addition  to  this  it  is  constantly  increasing.  The 
stenographer  taking  dictation  for  the  first  time  from 
a  medical  man  will  encounter  words  which  will  thor- 
oughly test,  not  only  his  English,  but  his  knowledge 
of  Latin  and  Greek.  If  he  desires  to  make  a  spe- 
cialty of  medical  dictation  he  should  devote  his  spare 
moments  to  the  reading  of  medical  works  and  famil- 
iarizing himself  with  its  terminology.  The  forma- 
tion of  phrases  and  outlines  for  the  most  common 
words  and  sentences  is  of  course  absolutely 
essential. 

These  same  remarks  apply  to  the  stenographer 
engaged  by  an  electrical  firm  or  any  other  line 
where  he  has  to  deal  with  technical  subjects.  There 
is  a  vast  array  of  new  words — words  not  yet  even 
found  in  the  ordinary  dictionary — which  are  likely 
to  be  dictated  to  the  electrical  stenographer  with- 
out warning.  A  good  plan  is  to  get  a  price 
list  of  the  various  appliances  and  parts  sold 
by  the  electrical  house  and  devote  a  few  spare  hours 
to  the  formation  of  outlines  and  phrases  for  the  un- 
common words  and  terms.  The  only  way  to  be- 
come expert  on  technical  terms  is  to  make  yourself 
absolutely  familiar  with  them  and  the  outlines  for 
them. 


RUTHERFORD  S     PRACTICAL     POINTERS.  IO3 

The  stenographer  who  becomes  the  amanuensis 
of  one  engaged  in  scientific  pursuits  will  not  find 
his  position  an  easy  one.  The  advice  which 
has  been  already  tendered  for  the  medical  and 
electrical  stenographer  can  also  be  applied  to  the 
stenographer  of  the  scientist.  New  words  and  re- 
curring sentences  should  be  made  the  subject  of  in- 
dividual study,  and  once  reduced  to  simple  propor- 
tions they  will  no  longer  daunt  you  in  the  slightest 
degree. 

The  embryo  stenographer  is  prone  to  think  that 
the  taking  of  a  sermon  or  a  lecture  is  a  simple  mat- 
ter. On  the  other  hand  the  stenographer  who  is 
called  upon  to  report  a  theological  discourse  will 
find  it  difficult  unless  he  is  perfectly  familiar  with 
theological  phraseology  and  has  the  requisite  speed 
in  shorthand.  A  knowledge  of  the  most  frequently 
used  texts  and  quotations  will  save  a  vast  amount 
of  time,  as  these  need  seldom  be  written  in  full; 
the  first  word  or  two  and  the  last  word  will  ordi- 
narily suffice  to  convey  the  quoted  extract.  In 
transcribing  the  text  or  quotation,  it  must,  of  course, 
be  written  in  full.  The  list  of  theological  phrases 
given  in  the  text-book  should  be  thoroughly  mem- 
orized, and  the  reading  of  the  Bible  and  practice  on 
the  Biblical  names  will  go  a  great  way  to  facilitate 
your  work. 

It  will  be  readily  seen  from  these  remarks  that  the 
chief  point  to  be  observed  for  success  in  stenography 


IO4  RUTHERFORD  S     PRACTICAL     POINTERS. 

is  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the  business  in  which 
you  are  engaged.  Master  the  vocabulary  of  the 
technical  part  of  the  business  from  the  very  start; 
invent  phrases  wherever  necessary  and  resolve  each 
difficult  outline  into  an  easily  executed,  nicely  flow- 
ing form.  Thus  you  will  soon  be  characterized  a* 
a  first-class  stenographer,  and  remunerated  accord- 
ingly. 

PHRASE-WRITING  FOR  THE  OFFICE  STENOGRAPHER. 

One  of  the  greatest  obstructions  to  speed  in 
shorthand  is  the  constant  lifting  of  the  pen.  The 
closer  the  pen  or  pencil  is  kept  to  the  paper  and  the 
less  frequently  it  is  fifted,  the  more  speed  is  possi- 
ble. A  phrase,  however,  should  never  be  striven  for. 
It  must  come  naturally  without  effort,  or  it  would 
better  not  be  written.  "Too  much  phrasing,"  writes 
Mr.  Dement — who  claims  to  be  the  most  rapid  short- 
hand writer  in  the  world — "retards  speed."  The  fol- 
lowing most  excellent  advice  by  that  eminent  re- 
porter, Mr.  Theodore  C.  Rose,  is  culled  from  an 
old  shorthand  magazine  and  should  be  read  by 
every  stenographer: 

"The  question  whether  phrase-writing  does  or 
does  not  retard  speed,  is  one  that  is  often  asked, 
but  seldom  answered  with  a  direct  'yes'  or  'no.'  In 
fact  I  doubt  if  it  can  be  answered  other  than  with 
a  qualified  answer.  If  the  answer  means  phrase- 
writing  when  carried  to  its  fullest  extent,  as  laid 


RUTHERFORD  S     PRACTICAL     POINTERS.  IO5 

down  by  some  authors,  then  I  would  answer  'yes.' 
If  it  means  simply  the  joining  of  two  or  more  words 
in  brief,  convenient  phrases,  then  I  answer  decided- 
ly 'no.'  As  in  almost  all  departments  of  human  en- 
deavor, very  much  depends  upon  the  man.  Some 
are  so  constituted  that  they  cannot  act  coolly  and 
deliberately  when  crowded  to  extraordinary  effort, 
while  others  have  better  control  of  themselves,  think 
and  act  more  rapidly  when  placed  in  such  a  situa- 
tion. Then  the  mind  may  act  rapidly  enough  one 
day  to  make  the  writing  of  phrases  advantageous 
and  the  next  day  be  so  sluggish  as  to  make  it  a 
positive  disadvantage.  The  mind  plans,  the  hand 
executes.  Some  writers  put  the  burden  upon  the 
mind  and  make  it  do  most  of  the  work  by  forming 
and  sending  to  the  hand  briefer  and  better  outlines, 
whilst  others  shift  the  work  off  on  the  hand  and 
are  content  with  long-straggling,  half-unconsciously- 
made  outlines.  The  tendency  when  hurried  is  to 
rush  ahead  with  the  hand  instead  of  holding  it  in 
check  to  await  the  formation  of  good  outlines  and 
phrases,  and  then  to  do  its  part.  One  of  the  hard- 
est things  to  learn  in  reporting  is  to  write  slowly 
with  the  hand  and  rapidly  with  the  mind,  and  upon 
the  acquisition  of  this  quality  largely  depends  the 
making  of  the  phrase-writer  and  the  legibility  of 
his  work.  All  these  matters  enter  into  the  question 
at  issue  and  render  the  answer  difficult. 


io6  RUTHERFORD'S   PRACTICAL   POINTERS. 

"Phrases  may  be  used  to  advantage  when  well 
learned,  the  same  as  sign-words,  but  they  should 
always  be  brief  and  easily  made.  The  claim  that  the 
lifting  of  the  pen  is  equal  to  the  loss  of  a  stroke 
will  not  always  hold  good;  it  often  contributes  to 
ease  of  writing,  and  ease  in  reading.  Short,  fre- 
quently used  phrases,  learned  as  you  would  learn  a 
sign-word,  can  always  be  used  with  the  greatest 
advantage.  Three  or  four  strokes  joined  together 
may  be  as  easily  learned  as  one  stroke;  in  fact,  often- 
times more  easily;  and  in  addition  they  are  gener- 
ally more  easily  read.  Logically  it  may  be  urged 
that  this  principle  could  just  as  well  be  carried  into 
long  phrases  as  well  as  short  ones,  but  I  do  not 
think  it  can  be.  Every  practical  stenographer,  I 
have  no  doubt,  has  in  his  experience  commenced  a 
beautiful  phrase  that  he  had  well  learned,  with  full 
confidence  that  he  was  to  reap  a  benefit  of  at  least 
twenty-five  per  cent,  when  all  at  once  the  speaker 
varied  it  a  little  and  made  it  necessary  to  strike  out 
the  whole  thing  from  the  beginning  and  re-write 
the  words,  thereby  suffering  a  loss  of  considerable 
time  and  a  good  deal  of  patience.  My  rule  is,  use 
short  phrases;  have  them  well  learned  and  as  avail- 
able as  sign-words;  never  extend  a  phrase  over  a 
distinct  punctuation  mark,  or  where  one  should  be; 
and  never  attempt  those  phrases  that  have  to  be 
measured,  cut  out  and  contracted  while  you  are  to 
follow  the  speaker." 


RUTHERFORD'S  PRACTICAL  WINTERS.          107 
GRIT  AND  DETERMINATION. 

The  stenographer  will  require  plenty  of  grit  and 
plenty  of  determination  to  achieve  success  in  his 
special  calling.  Do  not  become  discouraged  and 
believe  that  only  a  genius  can  make  a  success  of 
shorthand.  "Genius,"  said  Helvetius,  "is  nothing 
but  continued  attention."  "I  have  no  genius,"  said 
Sir  Isaac  Newton,  "it  is  only  patient,  concentrated 
toil  that  gives  me  success."  "I  can  and  I  will," 
rigidly  adhered  to,  will  work  wonders.  Be  persist- 
ent in  your  studies,  in  your  practice  and  in  your 
work.  Do  not  practice  for  three  hours  today  and 
then  not  touch  your  shorthand  or  your  typewriter 
for  two  weeks  or  more.  One  half-hour  per  day  oi 
regular  practice  will  do  more  than  ten  hours  of 
desultory  work.  James  Whitcomb  Riley  wrote, 
"The  most  essential  factor  for  success  is  persist- 
ence; he  is  richer  for  the  battle  with  this  world  in 
any  vocation  who  has  great  determination  and  little 
talent,  rather  than  his  more  talented  brother  with 
great  talent,  perhaps,  but  little  determination." 
Grit  has  made  many  a  man  famous,  and  persistence 
in  your  shorthand  studies  and  a  determination  to 
master  the  subject  thoroughly  will  lead  you 
into  higher  walks  of  life.  Don't  look  back,  but 
look  forward,  and  work  "on.  In  the  words  of 
D'Alembert,  we  would  say  to  the  stenographer,  "If 
you  are  tempted  to  turn  back — go  on,  sir — go  on!''' 


PART    IV. 

Pointers    About    Reporting 


HOW  TO  BECOME  A  SHORTHAND  REPORTER. 

"Verbatim  reporting,"  writes  Mr.  William  E.  Fin- 
negan  in  Chat,  "like  everything  else  worth  knowing, 
is  easy  when  you  know  how,  but  the  beginner  who 
is  afraid  of  hard  work  will  never  know  how,  for  the 
art  of  reporting  is  not  easily  mastered.  Therein  lies 
'ts  chief  value.  If  the  ability  to  follow  accurately 
a  rapid  speaker  could  be  absorbed  as  a  sponge  takes 
up*  water,  the  stenographic  profession  would  soon 
be  filled  with  the  failures  from  every  other  depart- 
ment of  work.  Fortunately  he  who  would  become 
a  verbatim  reporter  must,  far  from  absorbing  the 
knowledge  he  seeks,  dig  for  every  morsel  of  it— r-dig 
deep  through  strata  of  principles  beset  with  difficul- 
ties, which  only  the  patient,  industrious  and  re- 
sourceful mind  can  hope  to  overcome 

Whoever  is  ambitious  to  become  a  verbatim  reporter 
must  not  make  the  fatal  error  of  being  in  too  great 
a  hurry.  He  must  be  willing  to  spend  time  enough 
to  learn  the  art  of  shorthand  thoroughly.  If  he 
trusts  his  reporting  fortunes  to  an  instructor  who 
guarantees  to  turn  out  experts  in  three  months  his 

108 


RUTHERFORD'S  PRACTICAL  POINTERS.  109 

experience  is  certain  to  be  like  David  Copperfield's 
whose  'imbecile  pen  staggered  about  the  paper  as 
if  in  a  fit!'" 

The  chief  aim  and  ambition  of  the  stenographer 
is  to  become  a  reporter — to  be  able  to  report  ver- 
batim the  loftiest  flights  of  the  orator,  sermons,  lec- 
tures, and  the  rapid  questions  and  answers  of  the 
courts.  It  would  be  well  for  the  ambitious  stenog- 
rapher to  realize  from  the  very  start  that  the  art  of 
verbatim  reporting  can  be  acquired  only  by  con- 
stant and  persistent  practice  for  a  long  period  of 
time.  Those  who  have  been  most  successful  and 
have  reached  the  highest  positions  in  the  sjeno- 
graphic  field  as  congressional  and  court  reporters 
have  done  so,  not  by  good  luck  or  influence,  but  by 
evolution  and  persistent,  hard  work. 

Under  another  caption  we  will  set  out  in  detail 
the  various  periods  of  preparation  and  study  that 
many  of  the  best  reporters  have  had  to  undergo 
before  they  reached  the  height  of  their  ambition. 
To  be  a  successful  reporter  the  stenographer  must 
possess  good  sight,  excellent  hearing,  the  keenest 
of  observation  and  good  expression,  in  addition  to 
possessing  a  thorough  command  of  his  shorthand 
system,  and  the  ability  to  write  it  swiftly  and  tran- 
scribe it  accurately.  He  must  also  have  a  thorough 
command  of  the  English  language,  history  and 
current  events.  In  fact,  the  reporter  to  be  successful 
must  be  intelligent,  well  read,  quick,  and  uniformly 


110  RUTHERFORD'S     PRACTICAL    POINTERS. 

well-informed  on  a  multitude  of  matters.  His  daily 
duties  are  so  likely  to  require  the  keenest  perception 
and  knowledge  of  matters  outside  the  ordinary  pale 
of  commerce  that  nothing  but  supreme  alertness 
as  to  what  is  passing  about  him  would  fit  him  for 
his  position. 

We  do  not  wish  to  discourage  the  ambitious 
stenographer,  but  if  he  desires  to  become  a  short- 
hand reporter  he  must  remember  "No  victory  with- 
out a  struggle,  no  success  without  labor."  The  field 
is  wide  and  open;  persistent  study,  and  a  determina- 
tion to  succeed  will  attain  success.  Don't  be  dis- 
couraged 

"The  heights  by  great  men  reached  and  kept, 

Were  not  attained  by  sudden  flight, 
But  they,  while  their  companions  slept, 

Were  toiling  upward  in  the  night." 

SOME  POINTERS  FOR  THE  EMBRYO   REPORTER. 

MASTER  YOUR  SYSTEM.  The  first  step  to  good 
reporting  speed  is  a  thorough  mastery  of  your  sys- 
tem. Utilize  in  study  every  spare  moment  of  the 
day,  but  exercise  the  hand  simultaneously  with  the 
mind.  The  mind  must  act  quickly,  and  the  hand 
must  be  instantaneously  responsive.  Mr.  David 
Wolfe  Browne  writes:  "The  mind's  conception  and 
the  hand's  response  must  be  so  prompt  as  to  leave 
no  appreciable  gap  between  hearing  and  writing." 
Again  he  writes:  "The  attainment  of  the  highest 


RUTHERFORD  S     PRACTICAL     POINTERS.  Ill 

speed  requires  not  only  a  well-trained  mind,  but 
a  well-trained  hand."  This  harmony  of  mind  and 
hand  can  only  be  attained  by  practice.  Master  every 
principle  of  your  system  of  shorthand  thoroughly. 
Have  someone  read  to  you  on  a  variety  of  matter, 
so  as  to  enlarge  your  vocabulary,  and  apply  your 
rules  and  principles  to  every  new  word.  Write  in 
shorthand  and  think  in  shorthand. 

READ  YOUR  O\YN  NOTES.  Read  everything  you 
write.  Better  even  than  reading  is  to  transcribe  on 
the  typewriter  every  word  that  you  write  in  short- 
hand. Omit  nothing;  make  sense  of  all.  you  tran- 
scribe. Read  also  everything  you  can  find  printed 
in  shorthand.  Of  course  the  best  practice  is  ob- 
tained when  you  read  your  own  notes.  In  transcrib- 
ing read  always  a  few  sentences,  so  as  to  avail  your- 
self of  the  context,  carrying  as  much  of  the  tran- 
script in  your  mind  as  you  can  at  one  time,  so  as  to 
keep  the  carriage  of  your  machine  traveling  the 
whole  time. 

WORD  BUILDING.  It  is  an  impossibility  for 
any  mind  to  memorize  arbitrary  outlines  for  all  the 
words  in  the  English  language.  The  rules  and  prin- 
ciples of  your  system,  if  properly  applied,  will  enable 
you  to  write  the  most  difficult  words  in  the  language 
with  ease  and  accuracy.  This  word-building  facility 
is  the  foundation  of  the  reportorial  structure.  "The 
key  to  success  in  the  practice  of  shorthand,"  writes 
Mr.  Brown,  "is  in  the  mastery  of  the  word-building 


112  RUTHERFORD  S     PRACTICAL     POINTERS. 

principles."  "One  word  in  100,"  he  writes,  "is  more 
than  enough,  as  every  reporter  knows,  to  break 
down  any  shorthand  writer  whose  training  has  left 
him  unable  to  write  the  hard  words  promptly." 
Don't  write  the  hard  words  in  longhand;  it  is  a  slow 
and  absurd  custom.  Write  everything  in  short- 
hand; divide  each  word  into  syllables,  and  as  you 
pronounce  the  syllable  write  it  in  shorthand  with 
the  consonants  and  vowels  in  regular  order.  "The 
hard  words,"  says  Mr.  Brown,  "must  be  written — 
they  must  be  written  in  shorthand;  they  must  be 
written  promptly." 

SMALL,  NEAT  NOTES.  The  smaller  your  notes, 
other  things  being  equal,  the  swifter  your  short- 
hand. Don't  let  your  notes  be  straggling,  but  neat 
and  compact,  written  with  the  sole  idea  that  they 
must  be  read  with  ease  and  celerity.  Acquire  a  good 
style  of  writing.  The  more  rapidly  the  speaker 
reads  the  smaller  must  be  your  shorthand  notes.  If 
this  advice  is  followed  it  will  result  in  increased 
speed.  Mr.  Alfred  Baker,  in  "Reporting  Hints  and 
Practice,"  writes:  "There  is  no  doubt  a  great  ten- 
dency to  acquire  speed  at  the  expense  of  good  style; 
this,  if  yielded  to,  results  in  the  formation  of  ragged, 
scrawling  and  inaccurate  ways  of  note-taking,  which 
militate  greatly  against  that  perfect  accuracy  that' 
the  reporter  should  endeavor  to  make  the  primary' 
characteristic  of  his  work." 


RUTHERFORD'S   PRACTICAL  POINTERS.  113 

CONTINGENCIES  IN  REPORTING. 

Learn  to  write  anywhere — on  a  table,  on  a  desk, 
on  your  knee.  The  reporter  is  at  times  called  upon 
to  write  with  poor  ink,  or  with  a  hard  lead  pencil 
on  bad  paper.  He  may  be  required  to  take  notes 
in  total  darkness,  standing  or  seated  in  a  moving 
vehicle,  in  a  crowd,  on  any  kind  of  paper,  with  and 
without  lines.  He  must  become  accustomed  to  these 
contingencies,  and  take  them  as  a  matter  of  course. 
His  shorthand  must  be  so  well  mastered  that  the 
means  of  applying  it  anywhere,  under  all  circum- 
stances, must  be  a  secondary  consideration.  We 
heard  of  a  recent  important  case  where  a  large  part 
of  the  most  convincing  and  important  evidence  was 
taken  by  a  reporter  behind  a  curtain  in  the  dark. 
Learn  to  write  shorthand  with  ease  and  facility 
under  disadvantageous  circumstances  and  be  sure  to 
read  what  you  have  written. 

GETTING  UP  SPEED. 

Mr.  F.  H.  Hemperley,  of  Philadelphia,  the  editor 
of  the  "Stenographer,"  wrote  some  time  ago:  "The 
best  way  to  learn  to  report  in  shorthand  is  to  begin 
to  report  at  the  beginning — that  is,  to  write  from 
dictation  from  the  first  lesson.  It  is  like  learning  to 
walk;  stand  up  and  take  one  step,  then  another,  until 
you  get  the  needed  strength  and  grace."  Assuming, 
as  the  late  Mr.  Fred  Pitman  wrote,  that  the  pupil 
possesses  "accuracy  cf  form;  a  good  smooth  method 


114  RUTHERFORD'S   PRACTICAL   POINTERS. 

of  writing;  facility  in  reading  notes;  the  ability  to 
transcribe  notes  neatly,  quickly  and  with  scrupulous 
fidelity;  the  capacity,  when  pressed  beyond  one's 
pace,  to  catch  the  sense  and  record  it,  at  the  possible 
risk  of  losing  a  few  words  or  possibly  some  fine 
phrases — these  and  many  other  attainments  ought 
to  advance  abreast."  He  then  recommended  the 
writing  of  one  sentence  repeatedly,  so  as  "to  teach 
the  hand  how  to  move  along."  This  advice  is  also 
given  by  Mr.  Andrew  J.  Graham,  the  author  of 
"Graham's  Shorthand,"  and  Mr.  Fred  Irland,  the 
congressional  reporter.  Write  the  same  sentence 
until  you  can  write  it  fluently,  and,  as  Mr.  R.  R. 
Hitt,  another  famous  reporter,  said,  ''leaving  speed 
to  come  when  it  will." 

We  would  like  to  quote  here  some  extracts  from 
a  very  interesting  article  by  Miss  Mary  N.  Evans, 
official  stenographer  of  Sandusky,  Ohio,  which  ap- 
peared in  the  "Phonographic  World"  in  June,  1891: 

"My  own  habit  has  been,  and  my  advice  to  my 
pupils,  is  this:  begin  with  a  single  sentence  only. 
Write  it  over  six  times,  numbering  each,  and  if  there 
should  be  any  outlines  in  it  which  seem  especiallv 
difficult,  cover  a  page  or  so  of  the  paper  \vith  each 
of  these  until  they  are  mastered  sufficiently  to  be 
written  as  readHy  as  the  rest  of  the  sentence.  Then 
take  up  the  second  sentence  in  the  article  in  the 
same  way.  Now  go  back  to  the  beginning,  writing 
both  sentences  six  times  over,  finishing  up  with 


RUTHERFORD'S   PRACTICAL   POINTERS.  115 

writing  the  second  six  times  additionally.  Then 
take  up  the  third  sentence,  write  it  six  times,  and 
afterwards  write  all  three  six  times,  finishing  as  be- 
fore with  writing  the  last  six  times  more  than  the 
others.  (It  will  be  understood  that  this  sort  of 
practice  is  done  from  memory  and  without  a  reader; 
of  course  it  is  necessary  to  glance  at  the  book  occa- 
sionally, but  in  repeating  the  sentences  so  many 
times  the  mind  soon  retains  them.)  It  will  be  a 
pleasant  diversion  for  the  student  to  count  the 
words  in  each  sentence  and  time  himself  at  the  close 
of  the  sixth  time  of  writing.  He  will  find  that  he 
can  gain  speed  quite  perceptibly,  and  by  this  means 
the  long  continued  practice  on  a  single  article  be- 
comes, instead  of  a  tedious  and  never-ending  drudg- 
ery, a  delightful  and  fascinating  race  which  the 
enthusiastic  and  earnest  student  will  be  loth  to  relin- 
quish even  after  several  hours  of  practice;  and 
though  it  takes  a  long  time  to  finish  an  article  in 
this  way,  yet  there  is  inspiration  instead  of  discour- 
agement in  it,  as  the  student  can  note  constant  and 
most  decided  progress  in  his  speed  from  day  to  dav. 
It  is  also  a  wonderful  drill  to  the  memory;  a  well 
drilled  memory,  I  need  scarcely  say,  is  a  sine  qua  non 
to  the  successful  reporter.  Another  advantage  is 
that  it  enables  the  student  to  utilize  in  helpful  short- 
hand practice  many  minutes  that  would  otherwise 
be  lost  to  him  from  the  impossibility  of  having  some- 
one read  to  him  at  those  particular  times.  Of 


ii6  RUTHERFORD'S   PRACTICAL   POINTERS. 

course  this  sort  of  practice  may,  and  should,  if  pos- 
sible, be  varied  by  writing  from  some  one's  dicta- 
tion." 

PRACTICE  AND  DICTATION  MATTER. 

The  student  desiring  high  speed  must  practice 
regularly  and  ceaselessly  day  after  day.  Get  a  good, 
patient  reader  if  possible.  If  that  is  out  of  the  ques- 
tion utilize  a  phonograph,  having  previously  pre- 
pared your  records.  If  even  a  phonograph  is  not 
available,  practice  in  the  way  suggested  in  the  pre- 
vious chapter,  but  in  every  case  make  your  practice 
regular  and  not  intermittent.  Copying  from  cor- 
rectly written  shorthand  is  very  useful  in  order  to 
acquire  a  neat,  symmetrical  and  legible  style.  The 
kind  of  matter  to  be  dictated  or  written  should  be 
varied,  so  as  to  give  as  large  and  complete  a  range 
of  language  as  possible. 

Mr.  W.  Whitford,  Medical  Reporter  of  Chicago, 
in  a  letter  written  for  a  symposium,  called  "How 
Long?"  stated:  "I  wrote  Paley's  Evidences  of 
Christianity,  a  good  deal  of  the  Bible,  and  many 
sermons  from  dictation,  Sidereal  Heavens,  Lectures 
on  Astronomy,  Macaulay's  Essays.  The  Intellectual 
Development  of  Europe,  Civil  Policy  of  America, 
Charles  Dickens'  Works,  selections  from  Washing- 
ton Irving,  Carlyle,  and  Goethe,  three  volumes  of 
the  Manchester  Science  Lectures,  works  on  Geol- 
ogy, proceedings  of  railways,  medical,  dental  and 
pharmaceutical  conventions,  as  well  as  articles  from 


RUTHERFORD'S   PRACTICAL   POINTERS.  117 

scientific  and  literary  magazines."  Col.  E.  B.  Dick- 
enson,  Official  Reporter  of  New  York,  also  wrote 
from  dictation  "many  volumes  of  miscellaneous  mat- 
ter; history,  biography,  lectures,  trials;  in  fact,  al- 
most every  branch  of  literature."  Mr.  Theodore  C. 
Rose,  Official  Reporter  of  Elmira,  New  York,  when 
practicing  for  speed,  worked  eight  hours  a  day.  Mr. 
David  Wolfe  Brown,  Reporter  U.  S.  House  of  Rep- 
resentatives, wrote  from  dictation  "such  works  as 
'Blackstone's  Commentaries,'  Macaulay's  Essays," 
etc.  From  these  experiences  of  expert  reporters  it 
will  be  seen  that  to  attain  success  in  the  reportorial 
art  one  must  practice  untiringly.  "Success  treads 
on  the  heels  of  every  proper  effort,"  and  though 
the  work  may  be  hard  and  at  times  discouraging, 
the  embryo  reporter  should  bear  in  mind  the  words 
of  Mirabeau,  "Nothing  is  impossible,  but  everything 
possible  to  the  man  who  can  'will'  and  knows  his 
end,  and  goes  straight  for  it  and  for  it  alone." 

THE  LAW  OFFICE  AS  A  TRAINING  SCHOOL. 

One  of  the  best  stepping-stones  to  the  reporter's 
chair  is  the  law  office.  We  would  strongly  recom- 
mend the  stenographer  who  desires  to  become  a 
court  reporter  to  obtain  a  position  in  a  busy  lawyer's 
office.  It  will  familiarize  him  with  legal  phraseology, 
he  will  occasionally  be  called  upon  to  "take"  refer- 
ences, depositions  of  witnesses,  attend  hearings  in 
Qourt,  and  have  many  opportunities  of  receiving 


n8  RUTHERFORD'S   PRACTICAL   POINTERS. 

thorough  training,  which  will  prepare  him  for  the 
much  coveted  reporter's  chair.  Many  of  the  best 
present-day  reporters  have  had  training  of  this  char- 
acter. It  may  take  two  or  three  years,  but  it  will 
be  time  well  spent.  In  addition  to  this  valuable  ex- 
perience the  stenographer  will  almost  daily  be 
brought  into  contact  with  men  who  may  assist  him 
in  his  ambition.  Judges,  when  choosing  court  re- 
porters, invariably  choose  those  stenographers 
whose  work  they  are  already  familiar  with  through 
references  or  hearings. 

In  taking  a  reference,  sit  as  close  as  you  can  to 
the  speaker  or  witness.  Make  a  note  of  everything 
that  takes  place,  as  well  as  what  is  said.  The  court 
reporter  should  understand  thoroughly  the  meaning 
of  rulings,  exceptions  and  objections,  generally  used 
in  court  procedure,  so  as  to  be  able  to  make  a  proper 
record  of  them.  Exhibits  entered  in  court  as  part 
of  the  evidence  should  be  carefully  marked  in  ths 
order  in  which  they  are  produced.  Beginning  with 
the  first  mark  them  "Exhibit  A,"  "Exhibit  B,"  and 
so  on.  Articles  which  are  entered  as  exhibits  and 
\vhich  cannot  conveniently  be  marked  as  such, 
should  have  labels  attached  to  them,  with  the  num- 
ber of  the  exhibit  marked  thereon.  Names  and 
addresses  of  the  witnesses  should  be  carefully  re- 
corded, and  it  is  the  duty  of  the  stenographer  to 
take  down,  word  for  word,  everything  that  is  said. 
If  a  witness  or  lawyer  is  incorrectly  heard,  the 


RUTHERFORD'S   PRACTICAL  POINTERS.  119 

stenographer  must  ask  for  the  question  or  answer 
to  be  repeated,  as  it  is  most  essential  that  a  proper 
record  of  the  proceedings  be  made.  Some  report- 
ers distinguish  between  the  question  and  answer  by 
drawing  a  horizontal  dash  from  right  to  left.  Oth- 
ers prefer  to  write  the  question  at  a  special  place 
on  the  page  on  one  line,  the  answer  indented  still 
more  on  the  next  line,  and  objections  or  remarks 
of  the  court  still  further  indented.  The  note-books 
should  be  numbered  and  dated,  and  carefully  pre- 
served. 

It  will  be  readily  gleaned  from  these  remarks  that 
the  qualifying  for  the  position  of  court  reporter  en- 
tails a  considerable  amount  of  study  and  training, 
and  a  few  years'  experience  in  a  busy  lawyer's  office 
will  be  an  invaluable  aid.  Mr.  W.  H.  Thorne,  lawyer 
and  court  reporter  of  Johnstown,  N.  Y.,  began  work 
in  a  law  office  and  subsequently  studied  law.  Col. 
E.  B.  Dickenson,  official  reporter,  Surrogate's  Court, 
Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  read  law  for  five  years  before  he 
was  appointed  official  reporter.  Mr.  Philander 
Deming,  official  reporter  of  the  Supreme  Court, 
New  York,  Albany  Circuit,  graduated  from  a  law 
school.  Mr.  C.  C.  Marble,  of  Chicago,  studied  law 
and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  before  he  learned  short- 
hand. Mr.  Frederic  Irland,  Official  Reporter  U.  S. 
House  of  Representatives,  was  stenographer  to  the 
attorney  for  a  railroad  company  before  he  took  up 
stenography  in  the  courts. 


120  RUTHERFORD'S   PRACTICAL  POINTERS, 

We  are  indebted  for  the  foregoing  information  to 
the  symposium  "How  Long?"  already  referred  to. 
Scores  of  other  examples  might  be  given,  but  we 
think  we  have  quoted  enough  to  show  that  the  legal 
office  is  the  best  training  school  for  the  official  court 
reporter. 

REPORTING  SERMONS. 

Nothing  affords  the  ambitious  stenographer  a 
better  opportunity  for  acquiring  speed  and  confi- 
dence than  reporting  sermons.  The  "taking"  of  ser- 
mons generally  entails  hard  work  and  plenty  of 
practice  and  perseverance.  The  first  point  is  to  find 
a  clergyman  who  does  not  speak  too  rapidly  and 
who  speaks  extemporaneously.  Take  with  you  a 
good  supply  of  pencils  or  a  good  fountain  pen  and 
a  note-book  with  a  stiff  cover.  You  will  have  to  do 
your  reporting  on  your  knee  and  generally  in  a  poor 
light.  Get  as  close  to  the  rostrum  or  pulpit  as  you 
can,  and  if  possible  obtain  a  seat  behind  a  pillar, 
away  in  a  corner,  or  somewhere  beyond  the  "speak- 
er's eye." 

The  stenographer  who  expects  to  engage  in  ser- 
mon reporting  should  study  the  Bible  and  have  por- 
tions of  it  dictated  to  him  frequently,  so  as  to  be- 
come familiar  with  the  texts  or  quotations  which 
afford  the  basis  for  theological  discourses.  "In  quot- 
ing texts,"  says  Mr.  Alfred  Baker,  in  "Reporting 
Hints  and  Practice,"  "do  not  write  a  long  string  of 
words,  for  example,  'second  epistles  to  the  Corinthi- 


RUTHERFORD'S   PRACTICAL  POINTERS.  121 

ans,  third  chapter  and  second  verse/  but  write  II 
Corinthians,  iii,  2.' '  In  writing  well-known  texts 
we  have  found  that  the  first  word  or  two,  and  the 
two  last  are  sufficient  to  record  in  shorthand.  Ref- 
erence to  the  Bible  should  be  made  afterwards,  when 
the  transcript  is  being  prepared,  ^nd  the  passage 
given  in  full.  The  sermon  reporter  must  have  at  his 
finger  ends  a  good  stock  of  phrases  applicable  to 
such  work.  Learn  how  to  turn  over  the  leaves  of 
jour  note-book  noiselessly.  If  you  cannot  get  all 
the  sermon,  get  as  many  complete  sentences  as 
possible.  If  your  preacher  speaks  too  rapidly  for 
you  at  the  start,  try  again,  practice  the  words  and 
phrases  over  which  you  have  stumbled,  and  be 
persistent. 

Owing  to  the  fact  that  sermons  are  generally  de- 
livered without  a  break  of  any  sort,  a  sermon  is  one 
of  a  reporter's  most  difficult  tasks.  "Sermon  report- 
ing verbatim,"  writes  Mr.  Baker  in  "Reporting 
Hints  and  Practice,"  "for  its  thoroughly  successful 
performance,  calls  for  a  high  degree  of  phonographic 
skill,  and  for  at  least  fair  Biblical  and  religious 
knowledge;  and  to  the  conscientious  reporter  the 
task  of  fully  reporting  a  preacher  who  is  also  a  dis- 
tinguished scholar,  is  not  a  task  to  be  lightly  under- 
taken. The  reporter  has  not  received  the  training 
of  a  doctor  of  divinity;  the  preacher  has  a  manu- 
script (which  is  not  obtainable);  the  sermon  as  de- 
livered is  not  clearly  audible;  members  of  the  con- 


122  RUTHERFORD  S     PRACTICAL    POINTERS. 

gregacion  are  troubled  with  coughs,  which  drown 
important  passages — and  the  task  assigned  to  the 
shorthand  writer  will  put  him  on  his  mettle." 

REPORTING  LECTURES. 

The  expert  stenographer  is  sometimes  called  upon 
to  report  lectures,  and  this  class  of  work  is  gener- 
ally attended  with  considerable  difficulty.  Lectures 
are  delivered  on  such  a  variety  of  subjects,  and  some- 
times when  given  to  special  bodies  they  may  pre- 
sent such  formidable  difficulties  that  a  good  report 
cannot  be  well  obtained.  As  far  as  possible,  it  is 
advisable  to  get  hold  of  the  notes  or  manuscript  of 
the  lecturer,  and  with  the  aid  of  these  and  the  short- 
hand notes  a  fairly  good  report  may  be  prepared. 
We  remember  once  having  to  report  a  lecture  on 
music.  It  was  purely  technical,  and  the  lecturer, 
who  had  no  notes,  used  numerous  musical  terms, 
which  he  glided  over  with  an  abandon  that  was  dis- 
tressing to  the  reporter.  Luckily  the  lecturer  was 
perfectly  willing  to  read  over  the  transcript  and 
correct  the  errors  made  in  the  reporting  of  the 
musical  terms.  On  another  occasion  the  lecture  was 
illustrated  by  stereopticon  views,  and  the  notes  had 
consequently  to  be  taken  in  the  dark. 

Scientific  lectures  should  be  prepared  for,  if  pos- 
sible, by  the  reporter  studying  some  handbook  on 
the  subject,  and  practicing  outlines  for  the  technical 
terms  and  phrases.  Lectures  on  philosophy,  elec- 


RUTHERFORD  S     PRACTICAL     POINTERS.  123 

tricity,  medicine,  surgery,  sociology,  music,  etc., 
require  special  training,  and  in  many  cases  the  co- 
operation of  the  lecturer,  or  the  report  will  suffer. 
The  study  and  work  of  the  reporter  who  lays  him- 
self open  for  the  reporting  of  scientific  lectures  is 
never  done,  for  new  words  and  phrases  are  con- 
stantly occurring  and  demand  his  earnest  atten- 
tion. The  work  is  arduous,  but  commands  and  de- 
serves good  remuneration. 

STOCKHOLDERS'  OR  DIRECTORS'  MEETINGS. 

In  reporting  stockholders'  and  directors'  meet- 
ings the  first  point  is  to  secure,  as  far  as  possible,  the 
names  of  those  present.  We  have  found  it  a  good 
plan  to  make  a  rough  plan  of  the  room  (if  of  course 
the  room  is  not  too  large),  jotting  down  the  names 
of  those  present  and  the  places  they  occupy,  and 
then  to  number  them  from  right  to  left  or  vice  versa. 
When  a  stockholder  speaks,  the  reporter  can  glance 
hurriedly  at  his  plan  and  place  the  speaker's  number 
opposite  the  shorthand  notes.  This  will  save  the 
writing  of  the  names  each  time  and  is  especially 
useful  at  small  meetings  when  the  remarks  become 
almost  conversational. 

At  large  meetings  the  name  of  each  speaker  is 
mentioned  aloud  by  the  chairman,  and  this  mode  of 
course  will  dispense  with  the  necessity  of  a  plan. 
It  is  a  good  idea  to  get  a  seat  close  to  the  secretary 
or  chairman,  either  of  whom  are  generally  well  in- 


124  RUTHERFORD'S   PRACTICAL   POINTERS. 

formed  as  to  the  names  of  stockholders.  At  direct- 
ors' meetings  a  considerable  part  of  the  report  can 
be  made  up  from  figures  and  statements  furnished 
by  the  officials,  but  where  the  remarks  of  each  indi- 
vidual are  to  be  furnished  verbatim  it  will  require 
some  considerable  "hustling"  on  the  part  of  the  re- 
porter to  get  all  that  is  said.  The  conversations 
are  the  most  difficult  to  report,  but  even  these  are 
easier  after  some  practice.  In  the  majority  of  stock- 
holders' and  directors'  meetings  there  arise  a  large 
number  of  technicalities,  which  should  be  anticipated 
as  far  as  possible  by  reading  over  the  previous  re- 
ports, etc.,  if  you  can  possibly  obtain  access  to 
them,  before  the  meeting. 

POLITICAL  REPORTING. 

Political  meetings,  if  the  speakers  are  important 
and  the  newspaper  is  anxious  to  get  out  an  imme- 
diate report,  are  generally  reported  in  "takes"  or 
"turns."    A  "take"  may  consist  of  from  five  to  ten 
minutes  reporting  of  the  speech  and  then  the  re- 
porter's place  taken  by  another  man,  who  "takes" 
another  five  or  ten  minutes,  when  he  is  relieved  by 
a  third  man.    The  first  man  by  this  time  has  dictated 
his  "take,"  or  transcribed  it  on  a  machine,  and  is 
ready  for  another  short  "turn."     Gradually  as  the! 
speaker  draws  his  speech  to  a  close  the  length  of\ 
the  "take"  is  reduced  to  two  or  three  minute  turns./ 
By  the  time  the  speaker  is  finished  the  written  re- 


RUTHERFORD'S   PRACTICAL  POINTERS.  125 

port  is  only  a  few  minutes  behind,  and  almost  be- 
fore the  applause  that  hails  the  conclusion  of  the 
speech  has  abated,  the  last  "take"  is  transcribed  and 
rushed  off  to  the  newspaper  office.  There  the  last 
few  words  are  set  up  in  type,  a  casting  made,  rushed 
to  the  printing  press,  run  off,  and  the  papers  are 
being  sold  on  the  street  almost  while  the  people  are 
leaving  the  building. 

This  is  done  hundreds  of  times  during  the  course 
of  a  busy  political  campaign,  and  it  calls  for  plenty 
of  skill  and  nerve  on  the  part  of  the  reporter.  He 
should  aim  to  get  as  close  to  the  speaker  as  possi- 
ble and  take  his  notes  in  such  a  shape  that  he  can 
read  them  with  the  utmost  fluency,  as  if  he  does 
not  do  so  he  will  not  only  upset  the  whole  scheme 
of  "takes/'  but  disorganize  the  entire  plan  and  delay 
the  issue  of  the  paper.  In  cases  where  there  is  not 
so  much  hurry,  one  reporter  may  take  the  whole  of 
the  speeches,  transcribing  his  notes  and  making  his 
report  up  at  leisure.  Speeches,  though  usually 
taken  in  the  "first  person,"  are  generally  transcribed 
in  the  "third  person."  This  will  require  some  train- 
ing on  the  part  of  the  reporter. 

NEWSPAPER  REPORTING. 

Shorthand  does  not  enter  so  much  into  the  life 
of  the  newspaper  man  as  might  be  imagined.  In 
the  main  the  newspapers  call  for  a  word  picture  of 


126  RUTHERFORD'S   PRACTICAL  POINTERS. 

what  happens  in  the  court  or  at  the  meeting  rather 
than  a  verbatim  report  of  what  was  actually  said. 
As  a  consequence,  to  the  newspaper  man  it  is  more 
important  that  he  should  have  a  lively  imagination 
rather  than  skill  in  verbatim  reporting. 

In  interviews  we  have  found  a  knowledge  ot  short- 
hand useful,  as  public  men,  if  their  sayings  arc  to 
be  reported  at  all,  desire  that  what  they  say  shall 
be  quoted  exactly  as  they  said  it.  There  are,  how- 
ever, few  reporters  on  the  staffs  of  the  daily  Ameri- 
can papers  who  can  write  shorthand,  and  some  re- 
porters we  have  met  allege  that  when  they  write 
shorthand  it  deadens  their  imaginations  and  conse- 
quently they  do  not  make  such  good  reports.  We 
do  not  agree  with  this  statement,  for  we  have  found 
a  knowledge  of  shorthand  extremely  useful  in  news- 
paper work  on  many  occasions. 

REPORTING  DELIBERATIVE  BODIES. 

The  highest  branch  of  the  reporting  art  is  un- 
doubtedly that  of  congressional  reporting.  One 
must  be  fitted  for  the  position  by  good  education 
and  a  complete  understanding  of  parliamentary  rules 
and  procedure,  together  with  a  complete  knowledge 
of  the  constitution  of  deliberative  assemblies.  In 
the  United  States  House  of  Representatives  and 
Senate  the  reporters  have  the  liberty  of  the  floor, 
and  can  pass  from  speaker  to  speaker,  note-book  in 
hand,  in  order  to  get  their  "turn."  Each  reporter 


RUTHERFORD  S     PRACTICAL     POINTERS.  127 

follows  the  speaker  for  five  or  ten  minutes,  when  his 
place  is  taken  by  another  reporter,  whose  "take" 
is  of  like  duration,  when  another  relieves  him.  This 
permits  each  reporter  to  retire  to  the  transcribing 
room  and  dictate  his  "take"  either  to  a  phonograph 
or  to  a  typewriter  operator.  In  the  United  States 
Senate  phonographs  are  used  largely  for  transcrib- 
ing purposes. 

In  the  English  Parliament  the  reporters  are  not 
allowed  on  the  floor  of  the  house,  but  are  placed  in 
what  is  called  the  "Reporters'  Gallery."  No  spe- 
cial facilities  are  given  them  for  taking  notes;  they 
have  to  do  the  best  they  can.  All  are,  of  course, 
first-class  stenographers  and  men  well  informed  on 
their  particular  work.  The  session  is  divided  into 
"takes"  on  the  plan  already  detailed,  and  gradually, 
as  the  session  draws  to  a  close,  the  duration  of  the 
"take"  is  lessened  so  that  by  the  time  the  speeches 
have  ended  the  reports  are  in  the  hands  of  the 
printer. 

In  the  United  States  Senate  and  House  of  Repre- 
sentatives the  reporting  is  done  by  a  staff  of  experts 
employed  by  the  Government.  In  England  the 
Parliamentary  reporting,  other  than  the  newspapers, 
has  been  in  the  hands  of  an  outside  staff  of  reporters 
called  "Hansard's,"  for  many  years,  and  the  records 
are  printed  from  the  reports  furnished  by  this  staff 
of  shorthand  writers, 


128  RUTHERFORD'S   PRACTICAL   POINTERS. 

THE  PHONOGRAPH  FOR  THE  REPORTER. 

Of  late  years  the  phonograph  has  been  largely 
used  in  the  transcribing  rooms  of  Congress  by  the 
reporters,  as  well  as  by  scores  of  court  reporters. 
On  returning  from  a  "take,"  or  "turn,"  the  reporter 
goes  to  a  phonograph  and  dictates  into  it  his  report 
as  rapidly  as  he  can  read  his  notes.  The  cylinder  is 
then  taken  by  a  typewriter  operator  and  affixed  to 
another  phonograph.  The  ear  pieces  are  adjusted, 
the  record  started  and  in  a  few  minutes  the  "take" 
is  written  out  on  the  typewriter  ready  for  the  press 
and  the  printer.  The  use  of  the  phonograph  effects 
great  economy  of  time,  and  enables  the  reports  to 
be  kept  almost  up  to  the  minute. 

COURT  REPORTING. 

Under  the  heading  "The  Legal  Office  as  a  Train- 
ing School,"  we  gave  some  advice  which  should  be 
useful  to  the  would-be  court  reporter.  As  therein 
stated,  the  majority  of  court  reporters  attain  their 
primary  experiences  in  legal  offices.  Legal  testi- 
mony requires  special  training  in  the  way  of  phras- 
ing, and  unless  the  stenographer  has  these  special 
outlines  for  the  oft-repeated  and  rapidly  uttered  in- 
terrogations, he  will  never  attain  the  requisite 
speed.  In  addition  to  taking  verbatim  a  record  of 
the  evidence,  it  is  important  that  the  reporter  should 
take  complete  notes  of  all  objections  and  exceptions. 
He  must  also  take  full  notes  of  the  counsels'  argu- 
ments as  well  as  the  remarks  and  rulings  of  the 


RUTHERFORD  3    PRACTICAL    POINTERS.  129 

court.  Many  hours  should  be  devoted  to  the  prac- 
ticing of  taking-  down  and  transcribing  testimony 
before  venturing!  into  court.  Every  legal  phrase 
given  in  the  text-book  or  phrase-book  should  be  at 
your  instant  command.  If  you  do  not  hear  clearly 
what  a  witness  says,  ask  the  witness  to  repeat  it. 
This  is  a  privilege  the  reporter  has,  as  it  is  abso- 
lutely essential  that  the  report  should  be  in  effect  a 
complete  photograph  of  the  proceedings.  If  such 
a  complete  picture  is  not  obtained  the  blame  lies 
with  the  reporter.  Never  put  your  own  construc- 
tion on  what  a  witness  said,  but  if  he  speaks  indis- 
tinctly and  you  are  not  quite  sure,  have  the  testi- 
mony repeated.  Insist,  too,  upon  your  seat  being 
in  such  a  position  that  you  can  hear  clearly  each 
witness.  Practice  reading  every  word  that  you 
write  in  shorthand  so  that  when  you  are  asked  to 
read  back  any  portion  of  the  testimony  you  will  be 
able  to  do  so  without  the  slightest  hesitation  or 
difficulty. 

Make  good  sense  of  your  transcript.  Don't  be 
like  the  Irish  would-be  reporter,  who,  when  re- 
quested to  read  what  a  witness  had  said,  hesitated 
a  moment  and  then  read  "The  first  beam  fell  last," 
instead  of  the  "first  beam  fell  lowest." 

HOW  LONG? 

As  has  already  been  stated,  the  reporter's  position 
demands  many  vears  of  persistent  study  and  work 


13°  RUTHERFORDS     PRACTICAL     POINTERS. 

to  reach.  There  are,  of  course,  exceptions,  but  some 
idea  of  the  time  occupied  may  be  gleaned  from  the 
following  extracts  from  a  symposium  entitled  "How 
Long?"  contributed  to  by  some  of  the  most  eminent 
court  and  congressional  reporters. 

Mr.  Jerome  B.  Allen,  of  Petoskey,  Mich.,  a  re- 
porter in  the  Michigan  courts,  had  five  years  of 
preparation.  Mr.  Charles  E.  Weller,  of  St.  Louis, 
studied  four  years  before  he  could  report.  Mr.  Daniel 
C.  McEwen,  of  Brooklyn,  occupied  about  five  years 
in  preparation.  Mr.  W.  Whitford,  of  Chicago,  wrote 
and  taught  shorthand  for  five  years  before  he  was 
appointed  official  reporter.  Col.  E.  B.  Dickenson, 
of  New  York,  practiced  for  five  years  previous  to 
appointment.  Mr.  Theodore  C.  Rose,  of  Elmira, 
New  York,  was  an  assistant  to  a  reporter  for  about 
thirteen  years  before  he  was  appointed  official  re- 
porter. Mr.  Adelbert  P.  Little,  of  Rochester,  New 
York,  began  law  reporting  in  1871  and  was  ap- 
pointed court  reporter  in  1893 — twenty-two  years 
after.  Mr.  Frederic  Irland,  of  Washington,  D.  C., 
became  an  official  reporter  to  the  court  four  years 
after  he  began  to  learn  shorthand  and  official  re- 
porter to  the  United  States  House  of  Representa- 
tives ten  years  afterwards.  Mr.  David  Wolfe  Brown, 
of  Washington,  D.  C.,  became  assistant  note  taker, 
U.  S.  Corps,  six  years  after  commencing  to  study 
shorthand  and  was  appointed  official  reporter  to  the 
United  States  House  of  Representatives  ten  years 


RUTHERFORD  S    PRACTICAL    POINTERS.  131 

after  that.  These  records  speak  eloquently  of  the 
time  and  labor  necessary  to  reach  the  top  rank  of 
reporting  skill.  Nothing  can  be  accomplished  in  a 
few  months;  it  requires  years  of  training  and  prep- 
aration, but  the  reward  is  worthy  of  the  labor. 

"Aim  at  the  highest  prize;   if  there  thou  fall, 
Thou'll  haply  reach  the  one  not  far  below." 


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